Legend Lost
by fluctusxFractus
Summary: Three Kingdoms. Three People. Two love, one hates. Their story is one of tragedy and magic, betrayal and love. All must fight their destinies but two wish not to. Noctis/Stella; Stella/Noctis
1. In The Beginning

"The love of heaven makes one heavenly."

-William Shakespeare

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_Scrape. Scrape. Scrape._

In caverns weathered by time, in a place forgotten by all but one, is a boy.

The boy was completely and utterly alone.

The room he is in is as high as a cathedral with a great dome in its center with mosaics of chipped heroes, valiant, charge into an endless race around the mosaic ring in pursuit of a demon, lost to the ravages of time and sits dejectedly among piles of rubble. The walls once held beautiful crystal sconces of unimaginable color are now dark with encroaching mold, their light stolen from them in ages past, like a speechless man. A rift in the ceiling is held steady by creeping roots with massive girths, streams of light filtering through to provide the only source of light. There is a massive wall of rounded stone, slate, and its base is an abyss that was once a contained well but the embankments of stone were lost lone ago and sits at the bottom of the shimmering, almost florescent abyss. The gluttonous roots have grown sporadic down the wall, creating a foothold on which the boy desperately clings to, like a feline to a tree.

Particles of dust dance the beams of light that manage to seep through, around fluted columns that bloom like lilies into the stone ceiling, in the wide center, and in the path of the hero of valor. The gnarly roots placidly hold the boy as he assiduously works, hair matted by sweat and brows creased in determination. He is perhaps in his tenth year, nearing the end of his boyhood, not yet ready to embrace the future.

His hands clench a stone with the fervor of one driven mad, soft skin torn and bleeding, but he is unaware. His long hair gleams like strands of metallic thread, halo moving in time with his rocking movements. His eyes like a melting sky dart back and forth, studying this and righting that. Why is he working with such desperation?

_This symbol is the key to your survival; remember it so that when the time comes, you will know. It shall protect you and lead you to greatness, _an omniscient voice murmurs in that dream, that dream like a prophecy.

In that dream, he saw so many disconcerting things; ruined buildings corrugated by steal, shards of glass littering the streets. A horizon of complete and utter ruination plagues this familiar place, a restive moon donning an ethereal light that sickens the survivors of the mass destruction. The city of stunning modern build would be lost to tragedy if it would not be stopped. But there is more to the dream; faces he's never seen, places he's never been, and a person familiar to him gazing at him with such unbridled ferocity.

There is a woman as well, who is very precious to him, whom he knows now and she is poised to fight, sad reluctance holding her back. And yet that brandished gold rapier goads his falchion to action, engine affixed to it, and they stand off.

_No matter what, this cannot be avoided. _

Tears shining and streaming, the boy cries. It has yet to pass and already he is overwhelmed by emotion. He thinks of his friends, people so dear to him, and of that blonde girl, so precious to him. Must they be lost to an inevitable future?

The shakes away those thoughts and continues working, white streaks making a dissonance in the abysmal place, yet it is so familiar to him. This place is one filled with memories, of happiness and anguish, and yet he can see them as vividly as if it were happening now.

People strangely garbled flow in and out of the walls, luminous specters of the past. A time reel continuously flows and the boy is overwhelmed.

_This is but a taste of what you will come to possess, _the voice soothes, trying to quell his fears with company. _You will find the strength to resolve the future._

Throwing down the worn, white stone, skittering into a dark place, the boy jumps from his perch. He furiously wipes his eyes, set with resolve, and gazes upon the symbol he has drawn.

A gyro of a language unknown to him swirls around a faded, curled wing. Many other symbols can be seen, but even the boy is unsure of what he has just drawn. In the pale light it takes on a celestial, fluorescent blue glow, but natural light shouldn't be able to do that. He gulps, unsure of what he has just scrawled upon the ancient wall.

_Did I not tell you what it was?_

The boy shakes his head, trembling. Dropping the stone, courage plummeting, the boy dashes from this grand room, down a narrow hall, charging deeper into the darkness more welcoming than an ominous future.

* * *

"Prince Noctis! Oh bless my heart, I worried terribly about you! Where have you been? Come, come, let's get you all cleaned up."

Noctis, the boy, was trembling despite the warmth of the upper world. He had desperately bandaged his hands with old cloth in order to hide the wounds, but his keen-eyed guardian, Rosarum, had immediately caught on. She knew this boy from birth and she knew him well.

She was dressed in what looked to be a nun's habit, white and tan, although it was by no means for religious purposes. Her face was kindred with age, but her emerald eyes always had an intelligent gleam. She was fiercely protective of Noctis, who had become something of a son to her, and as thus she saw to it that he never stepped out of line.

Noctis took her weathered hand, small fingers curled around like a lost child. He kept his gaze to the floor, eyes darting between the shoes that flicked out from under her long dress whenever she took a step and his own stumbling feet.

The halls they walked through were high and narrow, rich white marble paving the floor and columns that blossomed into high domes were avoided. Between the recesses the columns made were large portraits of the rulers of old, people Noctis was related to, as well as entryways into similar halls, each containing a plethora of rooms. Clear windows overhead let in an azure sky while massive crystal chandeliers spiraled downwards like Turritella gastropod shells. Natural light made them sparkle every conceivable color of the spectrum, casting orbs of color on the floor and walls like playful faeries.

Shoes echoing resoundingly, Rosarum briskly walked into a set of open, lacquered wood doors inlaid with curling iron designs with Noctis in tow. Opening a secondary set they entered the young prince's bedroom.

The room was circular in shape, domed like many others, hewn from warm beige marble. A cathedral ring of columns arched gracefully to touch the sky, no ceiling deterring their blossoming prowess. There were recesses between each wall bound column that held in their depressions statues of bearded gods deep in thought and goddesses clothed in flowing robes in delicate poses. The four poster canopy bed could easily fit four people shoulder-to-shoulder, lace curtains bound to their posts. The extravagant silk sheets were of muted cream and spared no expense of the young prince's comfort.

Rosarum skirted around a large desk and wardrobe and flung open another set of elegant doors into a bathroom as large as the bedroom. It, too, was circular in shape. A rounded, inlaid bath more like a fountain pool lay in the center, steaming and embanked by warm stone. A light fixture hanged from the zenith of the dome, metal and orbs of light twisting beautifully together and casting a warm glow on cordial marble. A ring of stained glass above was in the forms of inky fishes and rippling water of frosty blue glass, the sunlight casting scales of blue light below. The marble in here was of a dull burgundy veined by white that seemed to grow warmer in light. A large mirror sat in one corner while a large sink, too large for normal use, sat in another. All was made from stone or marble, a trait overly common in what was supposed to be a modern utopia.

"Alright, m' prince, why don't you take off these ruddy clothes and get yourself bathed. I'll take them to the laundry quarters. If you don't take a bath, I'll know," she said, kneeling down to look Noctis at eye level.

Complying, Noctis walked over to a hidden changing room and closed the door before removing all of the clothes. He pulled on a long bathrobe and girdled it tight, then stepped out with the bundle of soiled garments in his arms. Rosarum gladly took them, smiling warmly at Noctis.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, alright?" she said before turning around, robes swishing as she closed the door softly behind her.

Glaring at the water, Noctis timidly stepped to its edge, frowning and testing the heat with his toe. Recoiling at the spike in temperature, Noctis frowned and his glare deepened.

"Why do I have to take a bath…" Noctis muttered, swirling the glass-smooth water with his finger. Remembering the taunts of his immaturity from a close friend, Noctis puffed his chest exaggeratingly. He sat and submerged his legs up to his calves; he gritted his teeth in resolve. Slipping off the edge into the fairly deep water, Noctis splashed resoundingly, flailing his arms until they rested on a submerged ledge. Gasping for breath, hair limp and blocking his eyes (which he quickly moved aside), he took deep breaths, trying to calm his fluttering heart.

Finally calm, Noctis removed the heavy and wet robe, having accidently dragged it in with him. The water cleansed his skin well enough as well as his hair, not needing shampoos or soap. Clean of all dirt, blood, and grime, Noctis heaved himself from the tub and toweled himself as dry as possible, hair still a little damp. He found another robe to wrap around himself and proceeded to the mirror.

Availing himself before it, he could see that his hair was still hopelessly spiky, springing back into place. It was a strange metallic blue, unusual from the browns and blondes of other people. His face wasn't sharp and angular like his friend; instead it was soft and still rounded, but was beginning to lose that trait. His eyes were piercing with determination, something many said he inherited from his father. His mother passed on her round, high cheekbone face and soft skin. His hair was something his mother's father was said to have possessed.

"Oh, good, you're done, m' prince!" came Rosarum's jovial and warm voice. Noctis whirled around, a smile alighting his face. He ran to her and clamped on to her arm, face colliding with her shoulder.

"You've become very handsome; I can't believe you're not that sweet little baby anymore. Ah, you're such a treasure." Noctis looked up to his beloved nanny.

"Please call me Noct, like you used to," Noct said, smiling warmly.

She burst into laughter. "Oh, you little rascal! I'll get in trouble if I do."

Noct looked thoughtful for a moment. "Prince Noct?" he reasoned.

"Alright, I'll call you 'Prince Noct.'" Noctis let go of her arm, beaming.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Lord Niveus Infinito and Lady Stella are here. Aren't you excited? Come; let's get you all polished up."

Noct froze; Stella was here. His heart began thumping loudly at the thought of seeing his best friend who he recently began having a crush on. She was nine to his ten and positively radiant. He adored her kind smile and lively personality. There was something else, like they had a deeper connection, but he couldn't reason why.

Urging himself to calm down, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

_Older Stella brandishing a gold rapier._

Noct shook his head, pushing away that awful thought.

"Prince Noct? Time to get dressed."

Noctis opened his eyes, and to his abject horror, Rosarum held a flowing, long emerald dress coat, stiff looking matching pants and a complicatedly designed shirt. He swallowed; he hated dressing formally almost as much as he hated taking bathes.

Reluctantly taking the clothes into the changing area, closing the door, he removed the bathrobe and put on the appropriate undergarments before hauling up the suede pants, pulling over the long shirt and finally pulling on the ankle-length robe which wasn't supposed to be girdled. He tied on a pair of starchy black boots and laced them, toes being mashed together.

Exiting the room he groaned loudly, bemoaning the restrictive clothing.

Rosarum clapped her hands in delight and ushered Noct again to the mirror. The outfit made him look older, sure, but he wouldn't be able to do much.

"You look even more handsome!" she squealed, soothing creases and invisible wrinkles with obsessive care.

Noct gave her a look of comic anguish, a shadow of despair hooding his eyes.

"You want to look nice for Stella, don't you?"

Noctis quickly changed his outlook, imagining Stella gushing over how cool he looks and immediately changed his outlook on the snazzy clothes.

Rosarum laughed at his sudden change of heart, always seeming to know how to change Noctis's outlook on things.

"Come along now; don't want to keep them waiting."

Noctis gladly acquiesced and flew from the room, Rosarum struggling to keep up.

* * *

The day was as beautiful as it looked through the windows.

The sky was a beautiful turquoise color, clouds floating aimlessly like leaves swept along a river. A massive lawn spanned before him, gardens of flowers of every variety planted and hedges trimmed with the utmost precision. Beyond the gardens was the border between lawn and forest, both kept immaculately in line. Cobblestone paths cut through the maze of flowers and small trees; the odd sculpture of some prominent figure of old standing in defiance to the sky. The emerald leaves of the interminable number of trees chattered in the many warm breezes while dappled shadows rested on the forest floor below. The grand presence of the castle loomed before all, a sentinel of sentinels watching over wood and city. Luckily the sun's position in the heavens provided that the castle's shadow didn't overshadow the delightful gardens or the three young children who wished the gambol among the scenery.

Noctis descended the wide stone stairs, ignoring Rosarum's warnings to be safe. He practically ran down, eager to meet his friends below.

As soon as his foot touched green turf, the padding of feet over grass flew in his direction.

"NNNNoooooctiiiisssss!" came the stream of his name, sourcing from a pretty young girl, a mane of billowing gold behind her as she ran. Launching herself to the young prince, Stella latched her arms around his waist, smiling childishly.

Noct, unable to speak coherently, gulped. He returned the embrace shyly.

"H-Hello…S-Stella…"he stuttered at last, patting Stella's back. Beaming, the younger girl, who only came up to Noctis's nose, quickly released Noct so that he may regain his composure.

"I'm so glad to see you again," she said, smiling genuinely. Her pooling blue eyes caught the sunlight beautifully, entrancing the young prince for a moment. Today she wore an almost identical outfit to his, only it bore the colors of her kingdom, Tenebrae, and instead of pants she wore a skirt.

Raucous laughter broke the silence, emanating from a white haired youth. Niveus Infinito was prince from the kingdom of Caliga and Noctis's other best friend. His medium length white hair framed his face, some covering an eye, honey-gold eyes dancing in delight. He wore an outfit identical to Noctis's, again with the colors of his beloved seaside kingdom.

He was the oldest of them at twelve, bordering thirteen. Already his face was beginning to sharpen and become angular, voice not yet deep but not an awkward soprano most young boys were. He was a head taller than Noct and towered over Stella.

Yet that never deterred Stella from showing off her vivacious spirit.

"Niveus!" Stella cried, stamping her feet and crossing her arms. "Leave Noct alone!"

Noct waved his hands, as if trying to encourage passiveness in the fiery girl, only she proceeded to stomp over to Niveus and give him a piece of her mind.

"Sorry Stella, it's just that Noct—"he choked out between bouts of laughter "—he's really hilarious to me now for some reason!"

Stella scowled, hand reaching to grab a tendril of hair and yank it earth wards. Niveus yelped loudly, eyes locked with Stella's fierce ones.

"I'm sick of you bullying and teasing Noct! Go say you're sorry," she ordered, still clenching his white locks.

Awkwardly bent over, Niveus's topaz eyes locked with Noctis's. "Stella, it's what friends do. We always—"a yank "—Okay! I'm sorry, Noct! You happy now?" his last words directed at Stella. She tossed him away, unsteadying Niveus, and smiled smugly.

Prancing over to Noct, she grabbed his hand. "Let's get away from him and this place," she whispered, glancing towards the forest.

"What are you doing?" Niveus.

"Now!"

Before Noct could even blink, Stella was off him a shot, towing Noct at breakneck speeds. They tore through the gardens and out to the border and into the darkening woods. Noctis could hear Niveus shouting after them to stop, but for once he was glad to be alone with Stella.

They ran quite a ways until the castle receded and faded completely from view.

"Ah, alone at last." Stella ambled around a tree with great roots, humming delightfully to herself.

Noct looked around nervously. The trees here were thick enough for several people to hug, hands touching. Long and wide branches thickened and split like a river delta into a multitude of an infinite amount of smaller branches, leaves overly abundant and nearly blocking out the sun entirely. The canopy was thick with a ceiling of leaves that let in only fragments of sunlight, the rest of the ground cloaked in shadow. Massive roots spurt from the ground, interrupting the surface like coiling snakes, providing for unsteady walking ground. Noctis carefully picked his way around brambles and jutting roots, making way to Stella.

A deafening crunch suddenly filled the forest.

Stella clung to Noct who put a hand to her back.

"I think we should leave, Stella." Her head pumped up and down.

A scuffling of weak roots heaved inwards, creating an abyss to an unknown destination. Noctis's arms flew around Stella and her's around him.

Both screamed with terrific might in the quiet forest as the ground gave away and they were swallowed by the black abyss.

* * *

Last thoughts: Yes! The first chapter of my first Final Fantasy Versus XIII fan fiction! I plan for this to be a fairly long piece of work, but I have a lot of ideas brewing that might make for something really good.

Yeah, I wrote overkill on the descriptions of scenery, didn't I? Sorry about that. I should keep it short, but Final Fantasy makes me write like this; I love detail overkill. If I'm not careful I could describe the contours of single pebbles in scenery; I have to hold back. Sorry if the beginning is slow but it will speed up by the next chapter.

By the way, since many of the characters' names haven't been released (save for Noctis and Stella's) I'm going to have make up names. Niveus Infinito isn't an OC, rather he's the man Noctis is seen fighting alone (that white mage-looking man, remember?) who's name stems from the fact that he looks like a white mage. I hope I can create a good background story for him. I'll find ways to incorporate the goddess Etros as well as what I've seen in trailers, so I'll do my best.

Special thanks goes out to Lammybug for inspiring me to write for this fandom as well as for writing so many wonderful stories (that I have to read) for it.


	2. The Last Night of Innocence

"Pleasure and action make the hours seem short."

-William Shakespeare

* * *

There was once a time when Noctis was always happy, when he was at his most innocent. There was a mother and father in his life and they had been the happiest family in the world.

But worlds oftentimes fall apart.

It all began when his mother died. He had been terribly young, barely three years old. Her health had been ailing since he was born and many blamed the son borne from her. It's his fault, they said. He should've been aborted, they scowled, especially after the prophecy the goddess Etro proclaimed to the world so long ago. Three mothers ailing shall give birth to three who shall reverse the flow of life and bring either calamity or eternal calm to the world. So many people believed, after living in such long years of war and strife, that these children would be only harbingers of destruction. Even if they did not destroy the world would not that malevolent force be always at their feet? This is what many people feared. Then, over the intervals of a few years three children of royal hailing were born to three ailing mothers, all of whom died within a few years of childbirth. How did people know of what to look for in the children of the prophecy? All three mothers were diagnosed with the same disease; all three mothers died on the same day, of the same hour; all three children shared the same birthday and were born at the exact same time. This is what made many people unsteady of them, unsteady of who they were. This is why they were inseparable.

Noct had first met Niveus when he was five years old and immediately felt a sense of brotherhood with the white-haired boy; it was as if they were siblings. Then he had met Stella and felt instantaneous attraction to her. It hadn't been a romantic attraction at first, then it intensified into the feelings that swelled within whenever he so much as thought about her. They all had gone to the same place to be privately tutored although nowadays they preferred to be taught in the same room with three different tutors. They just had to be close together least they suffer from a terrible anxiety.

Whenever they had the chance, they arranged to sleepover each other's kingdoms. Noct by now had lost count of how many times he had been to his precious friends' kingdoms. The longest they had been together had been a whole year when their mothers had died at once and they had mourned together, refusing to leave each others' side.

Noctis had remembered the day after their mothers died, they had held each other. Niveus had held Noctis and Stella, who had sat between them, and Noct had hovered protectively over Stella, four year old Stella. Noct had been five and Niveus seven. Despite their desperately young ages, their understanding of what had happened transcended how biologically old they were. They knew their bonds were absolute and eternal and to severe them would devastate them all. Because that was quite impossible they were utterly dependent on each other.

That year, despite the airs of sadness and melancholy, had been the best of their lives to that point. Each day they did almost everything together, enjoying each moment to the point of memorization. They learned, ate, slept, trained; everything was done in threes. Each tomorrow was filled with apprehension about whether would have to be separated or not. And yet when evening came and they were still together the night's fear was quelled just the slightest.

Now that they were older and ready to assume more responsibility they would have to accept that they couldn't be so close forever. If duty didn't wrench them apart then their inevitable destinies would. Even though that seemed long off, Noct had a terrible impending feeling that the day of reckoning was much too close.

He felt like that right now. He wanted it to go away, to be filled with happier memories, but the only thing there to fill him was dread.

"Noct? Hey—wake up. Noct? Noct!"

Noctis's eyes fluttered painfully open. An opaque silhouette filled his vision; distorted and frosty, blonde and cream. He blinked again, clearing away the fog and focusing an angel's blissfully soft and glowing face.

"Noct? Oh, thank Etros…"she sighed shakily, clutching her heart which was thudding loudly against her chest.

Noctis slowly rose forward; his head no longer on Stella's lap. She rubbed away tears from her eyes and forced herself to smile in a reassured way to her best friend. He glanced around the dark gloom, eyes still blurry and unfocused.

Then why was it he could see Stella perfectly?

Her long, beautiful was matted and muddy from their fall, slightly dirt stained face streaked by clean, salty tears. Noctis was pained by her sadness and shyly embraced her, letting her cry on his shoulder.

"I-I don't even know where we are! I'm scared, Noct. I'm worried about Niveus, too. I'm just awful for doing that to him!" she cried with a tear-stained accent.

"No, Stella. This isn't anyone's fault. We just need to focus on getting out of here…." Noctis broke off. How was it he planned to do that?

Tree roots like gorging snakes and worms buried their heads and bodies in the dark loam, points and pinpricks of stray branches protruding from the roots. Domed ceilings caved and sagged in places, roots like high white-capped waves while others were like those crashing upon the shore. Chestnut wrinkles sagged on those roots, erratic and wild as an untamed river's unpredictable flow. Several paths into pitch abysses spanned out from them, as if a snake of large atrocities had burrowed through and created dank sewers for the otherwise pristine forests.

The floor was padded smooth dirt, organic and scented with the scents of dying matter. The place where they had fallen through let in stray beams of dappled light, dense forest canopy clouding what could have been a refugee stream of sunlight.

In the great, cavernous room like a large, upturned bowl they contemplated their escape, silently deciding that going through the way they came was obviously impossible.

Noctis craned his neck around, scenery flashing left and right as it whirled. He bit his lower lip, unsure of how to continue on. Each tunnel could be as promising or deadly as the last, but all had a pervading aura of uncertainty about them. The convulsing and bulging roots almost goaded them to go this way, that way, but none captured either of the children's confidence.

"I think we should go down the tunnel, Noct," Stella said suddenly, voice breaking the gloomy silence. Noctis's head whipped to focus on the young girl. Like a supernatural guide her hand was raised, lone finger pointing down the tunnel in the seeming center.

That hole seemed bigger than the rest, groomed smooth walls and the roots seemed less obvious here. It was as if someone had taken sandpaper against the abrasive walls of dirt and natural stone. It looked safe, maybe even easy to trek through, at least more so than any of the other natural hallways.

Noctis slowly, cautiously, stood. He offered his hand to Stella, who took it firmly to pull herself standing.

Despite her hopefulness regarding their escape, she clung to his arm, lips trembling into a frown. Noctis tried to smile reassuringly down at his friend, but in truth he was as nervous as Stella and losing confidence. They took small steps, shoes gingerly tapping on the firm earth. The encroaching darkness eagerly swallowed them as they proceeded down the tunnel, tongues of darkness delighting in the taste of their fear and at the same time shied away in revulsion at their defying light.

This place held for them a strange feeling of nostalgia, memories of people and places they had never seen or met. Noctis and Stella, as well as Niveus, had been experiencing such phenomena for years. It came with being who they were and yet none of them knew how or why they had such abilities in hindsight.

"Hey, Noct?"Stella's voice ventured, quavering. She glanced worriedly up at Noctis whose eyes were locked straight ahead with the glaring darkness.

He snapped from his reverie. "Yes?" He glanced down at her, trying to erase his building fear, trying to become the stoic prince he knew would calm her.

"I feel like we're being watched." She clung to his arm tighter, gulping down her nervousness.

Noctis looked around, expecting some repulsive and vile monster to snap out of the shadows or burst from the rooted earth to attack them. No, let's banish away that thought. He had to admit, his sixth sense was bristling at that sensation.

"R-Really? It's probably just your imagination or something. Darkness has that effect on you," Noctis said, grinding out a confident-sounding laugh, but ended up sounding like a demented hyena. He was scared, too, much to his shame.

Stella's hands knit together in nervous prayer, arm still around Noctis's sleeved arm. It was a miracle their clothes were intact so well. It probably had to do with the material that sourced from the wool of famous Tenebrean highland sheep-goat that was legendary for its durability. It made one wonder as to the content or normal, everyday clothes.

They continued to walk in heavy silence, balking at noises they thought they heard, startling at things they thought they saw. The ruminating darkness prompted them to think ahead, both apprehensive for what did or didn't lie ahead.

A grating metallic hiss startled them both. From the depths of the tunnel, far ahead or their meager range of vision, that hiss emanated loudly. Scales scrapping against rough tree bark clearly meant this being was a foe capable of treading the walls in a way that was clearly out of the normal capabilities of the standard ilk of fiend-kind.

"Noctis—!" Stella whimpered, eyes deadlocked straight ahead.

A terrifying hiss broke the silence again, nearer than it should have been. This predator was fast and could easily catch up to two walking at a snail's pace.

"Stella, run!" Noctis whispered fearfully. Releasing his arm in exchange for his hand, Stella dashed away in tow of Noctis. The young boy was remarkably fast, but young Stella was no slouch in that department either. Their legs churned up dirt and small stones as they ran, inhumanly long strides eating up the ground and spitting it behind in their wake. The beast in question hissed menacingly and seemed content to pursue its lively quarry, exhilarated by the prospect of bringing down a trophy worthy of its feral prowess.

Noctis glanced briefly behind and his eyes widened in pure terror as he caught sight of the monster. It was a snake with a head the size of a large dog, its long serpentine body was gorging snake flesh that contracted and slithered as all snakes do along the ground, but this was no standard serpent. Its sidelong eyes were obviously not capable of seeing beyond its scaly snout, but heat pits could sense warm prey running with fervor away from its ready jaws. Retracted fangs waited for the exalting moment when one of them would trip and be completely vulnerable to its gaping maw and embrace of death.

Skittering rocks seemed to flee away in the demonic being's presence, but for they prey were like seconds ticking away noisily as they collided with wall of any solid surface. The grinding of scales and roots rose to a terrifying crescendo and completely drowned out the staccato of Noctis and Stella's dash of faith. The cacophony of desperate breaths, hisses, and the scales' abrasive crumbling against the walls ricocheted and rebounded in both of the children's ears, filling them indefinitely with terror.

Stella was breathing and gasping heavily, her hand growing damp from a mix of sweat and dirt, which felt disgusting. But the hand she clung to was a saving hand and release from it would guarantee her untimely death.

Noctis was beginning to become enraged. This beast would dare put one of his best friends in danger! His hand shot out and he shouted: "Firaga!"

An inferno of flame seared from seemingly nowhere to pound the snake with heat equal to the sun's furious glare. The blast roared past the snake and swallowed it as easily as the snake would them, white heat gnawing at flesh and attacking protective scales. The flames consumed the snake in an awesome spectacle, stopping it cold as Noctis and Stella leapt into the main domed area from which they had fallen through. Smoke rose high from the searing inferno and crackled violently with the snake's high-pitched hisses of pain like a banshee.

Noctis and Stella cowered in each other's arms, fearfully watching as the flames leapt and danced in tribal beat. Their pulsating hearts provided accompanying drums for the flaming dancers, bending and swaying to breezing movements.

Both tried to release their breaths, but their petrified lungs refused to risk breathing the smoke of burning flesh. There was another reason as well for their bated breaths.

An unholy wind whipped throughout the cavern, sourcing from nowhere. The snake burning under the entrance arc to the largest tunnel began to be swirled in this gyrating wind, the terrifying roar of the wind rising with the smoke.

The snake began to stir. A staggering hiss like a cackling witch rose from the serpent and rose in volume. Decibels too intense for their ears caused their hands to slap their ears shut to refuse the option of going deaf; both children squeezed their eyes shut in terrible pain.

The fires disappeared in a wil-o'-wisp, and snake began to heighten itself. Its head rose higher, its neck arching to glare enticingly at its prey. The beast's maw yawned open, fangs protruding and dripping with fetal black venom. Its lithe body began coiling around all of the entrances, the girth of its body wide enough to block those entrances. Noctis and Stella stared in abject wonder and a twisted sense of awe, ready for the worst. Flaps around its neck and body flared open, and this time flames like a multitude of torches flared, condescending heat trickling by their shocked faces.

The flames flickered and burned the rooted walls, threatening to consume. The earth was becoming scorched in the terrific heat, blackening sod. Orange and white and yellow filled their vision, the salamander snake hissing smugly.

"Blizzaga!" a noble voice in the crackling evil boomed, echoing with dissonance in all of their minds. A white, whipping wind filled the cavern. A blizzard raged now, blasting away the flames with a burning cold burning, branding the snake's mind with white heat.

Noctis and Stella cowered closer together, the blue-haired boy attempting to catch a glimpse of their savior.

Green eyes caught topaz as a white-haired boy fluttered down adroitly from above, landing gracefully. Dressed in robes of Caliga's colors, the flapping of fabric landed next to Noctis. Niveus bent down and gently caressed the trembling younger boy's face in reassurance. He mouthed something inaudible in the whipping winds and proceeded to carry on the fight. Noctis watched in shocked wonder, hugging Stella closer, whispering wishes of safety to the older boy. He could hear Stella weakly whisper the white-haired boy's name.

The snake hissed defiantly, faltering at the sight of the jeweled, gleaming gold broadsword that Niveus held. His knee-high boots scuffed as he parried the head of the snake that weakly attempted to bash Niveus in. Topaz eyes glared feral fury at the snake which was darting in pondering uncertainty, unsure of how to strike next. Not choosing to wait, Niveus high, spinning like a top, sword arm outstretched with the metal appendage. Metal tore through scale, flesh, and bone, blood spurting from the salamander's neck. A piercing sound blared from the snake and rocked the room, causing it to tremble, pebbles and dirt raining down.

Niveus broke into a sprint, clutching the sword with both hands. Jabbing it into the snake's side, he tore through rib bones and flesh, sword as hard as diamonds, which it was. Spurting blood like a bursting dam bled in the wake of the now crimson sword, Niveus almost making it some around full circle. The snake's head bashed into the ground, no longer holding the strength or will to keep it aloft. Fearful eyes trained upon Niveus, blood seeping from its mouth, the snake quietly awaited its fate.

Niveus sauntered up to it, gently touching the junction where the head was joined the rest of its body. Suddenly, he screamed in pure hatred, bearing upon the beast's neck with oppressive metallic force. Niveus jammed hack after hack, getting half a meter down with each blow. A sick, burbling sound bubbled up and blood splattered Niveus's handsome face. Bringing it down with malevolent finality, the snake was finally decapitated and bleeding slowly. It was dead.

Niveus regained his patent clam, walking over to Noctis. Noct began trembling violently, holding an unconscious Stella with suffocating force. His eyes wide open in terror; he was more horrified and fearful of his friend than ever before. Noctis scuffed backwards, Stella on his lap, robes grating open as he scooted backwards. Niveus now terrified him. He was trembling and shivering in the sick mixture of snow and blood, looking ready to rave like a madman.

Niveus finally reached his friend, thrusting his sword into the charred and frozen loam, breath clouding and misting in the now cold air. Noctis shook his head in mad refusal, not wanting for Niveus to come any closer. Hurt and sadness filled the white-haired boy's eyes and he stooped downwards to look at his shivering best friend.

Engulfing him in a tight embrace, awkwardly avoiding Stella, Niveus held his friend close. Noct's face was buried in his shoulders, his back held by bleeding hands. Niveus used his free hand to stroke Noctis's hair, calming the overly-stressed boy.

"Hey, it's okay, Noct. You and Stella are safe now…"

Tears began flowing quickly down Noctis's cheeks, staining them as they had Stella's not too long ago. One hand held Stella close; Noct used the other to return Niveus's embrace.

If this was but a sampling of their destinies, what was yet to come?

Noctis blacked out before another thought could escape across his mind.

* * *

Last thoughts: Gah, I'm so sorry I kept you all waiting! I'm working on another long fic just like this one which eats up my time just as much…that and I really didn't have any good ideas all week to put into this chapter. Until now, that is. I'm glad that I'm at least keeping my promise to release a chapter every week so you won't have to wait too much.

I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It was so much fun to write! First epic battle of this story! Yay! The snake that Noctis and Niveus fought is the cross between a basilisk (like from Harry Potter 2) and a salamander; try looking them up if you're more interested.

By the way, the powers that all three are known for (Niveus's magic, Noctis's telekinesis and Stella and Noctis's weapon-summoning capabilities) are yet to come along. They've yet to become embroiled in the near-death experience that was talked upon in one of the trailers. Right now all they are capable of doing is magic and wielding regular weapons; they've only briefly been touched by the crystals'/goddess's power.

Their relationship seems to be pretty complicated, isn't it? Because they have so much in common, they're like the three points of a triangle, three parts to a whole. I haven't come up with a reason why they need each other to survive, but I'll figure that out later. Truthfully, I have no idea where this story is going; I write on impulse.

Because this story's focus is Stella/Noctis, Noctis and Niveus have a completely platonic relationship and even if Niveus had feelings for Noctis it would be completely one-sided; Noctis loves Stella, after all. Unless you guys want a little Niveus/Noctis, I'll definitely add it, but you'll have to bring it up via PM or review, okay?

Thanks to everyone for your wonderful reviews; they always make me write better!

As always, review, review, review!


	3. I Am The Night

"It is the stars, the stars above us, govern our conditions"

-William Shakespeare

* * *

The night stretched long and thin, the sky blanketed coldly in the star's meager light and the moon's turned cheek. The forest rested uneasily, the birds chirping with steady comfort to their shivering fledglings. Within the castle itself, the fate of three children was held in limbo, their conditions in question by wary nurses and nannies.

In one ward of the castle of Luna Parvulus, Noctis's home kingdom, those three children rested. Women in fluttering habits rushed in and out, tsk-ing with shaking heads and whisking headdresses. Their eyes were trembling with tearful worry at the fate of the young monarchs and contemplated the crisis.

After Niveus had slain the basilisk-like salamander, Noctis had passed out cold. Stella, too, was unconscious and breathing shallowly. All alone Niveus had to trek through the still and darkening forest, heart burgeoning with fear at his weaknesses. The battle had drained him considerably and so had the effort of casting multiple rounds of curaga to heal the superficial wounds on himself and his friends. Casting so many high level spells in succession had weakened him considerably but the journey would that much more arduous if he ran the risk of all three of them bleeding to death.

Awkwardly he had pulled Noctis's limp form over his shoulder and then Stella he carried in his arms. One had had the double task of supporting both Stella's lower body and keeping Noctis from sliding down by gripping his robe tightly. Burdened like this, he then had to find an exit not through the way they came but through one of the tunnels. In doing so he had to leave his friends on the ground for a moment before hacking sections of the beast's corpse away. After doing so, getting himself rather stained in the process, he had to maneuver his companions to their respected positions and navigate the tunnel.

Luckily he had known this place fairly well.

Unknown to Noctis and Stella, ancestors of Caliga hailing had once inhabited this place during the wars of Caliga and Tenebrae many unspoken eons ago. Documented in the data vaults of Caliga's dungeons, Niveus had taken a peculiar interest in the great underground cave-palace that had once been a great mini-kingdom in itself. However, once the wars subsided and tensions ceased, a mass migration had taken place and the people abandoned their underground sanctuary in favor of their beloved seaside kingdom. They had missed the sea and azure sky, leaving their long-lived underground home to the plants and trees and animals that craved after this place for so long, living under the behest of humans. So now it was in utter ruination, walls crumbling and artifacts left to dirt or rust. Niveus had studied this place vehemently along with the other bits of history he had been required to learn. He had memorized maps that led him to find familiarity in these ancient halls just as if he had inhabited them himself.

Maybe it was just dumb luck that all three of them should happen upon a place he knew so well. In any case, that knowledge saved them. That place which had once been a saving grace for his people long ago now had saved them. It was as if they had intervened and took all three of them to a place they could escape.

And so, Niveus had traversed the many long tunnels, pining for ways to conserve energy and get out of the ancient entrapment quickly before anything else could go wrong.

A couple of chance moments provided Niveus with brief reprieves, setting his friends down to catch his breath before moving on again. As per their strange abilities he saw many ghosts of the past, eyes shining a florescent purple as the power automatically activated and let him see those estranged people, those unseeing beings of a time long past wearing fashions of old. Curious, Niveus had lifted the lid on Noctis's right eye; it glowed a phosphorous carmine color. Doing the same to Stella, who looked as if she were merely in sweet sleep, her eye glowed a florescent cerulean color. So even in a subconscious state their powers were invoked.

Sighing, he dropped their lids and picked them up again, moving forward.

After what seemed like an interminable pilgrimage, Niveus finally reached the borders of the gardens of the castle of Luna Parvulus, rushed forward by a flurry of swirling bodies of the many people who had been searching for them.

As soon as Stella was taken from his arms, someone then tried to remove Noctis. Niveus fiercely resisted and carried Noctis in his arms, eyes flicking between the slumping form of Stella and the person who was trying to goad Niveus to relinquish Noctis, talking of Niveus's bloody robes and the many flourishing scars on his face and torn sleeves, he having not the time or energy even to muster strength for the simplest cure.

Dispersing, the exaggeratingly large crowd of frenzied attendants, maids and servants, fled beneath the moonlight, their white uniform robes shining an obscene glowing blue. They all left in a flourish, rushing back into the grandiose palace to resume their duties. A few lingered, speaking soft words of comfort and reassurance to Niveus.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take him from you?" Rosarum asked, her eyes twinkling sadly.

Niveus shook his head, hands reflexively tightening around where he was supporting Noctis. He felt suddenly possessive of his friend, feeling suspicious even of Stella's own nanny who had trailed Rosarum to find her.

"No," Niveus's voice dropped, "there's no need. I can take care of him." He did his best to hide the hostility in his voice. One glance down at Noctis immediately softened his hardness, remembering that the person speaking to him now was someone who cared for Noctis just as he did.

"Noct, Ni..ve…us," came Stella's subconscious whisper. She stirred the slightest in her nanny's flowing sleeved arms, brows furrowed for an instant before relaxing again, her mind tormented by nightmares.

Rosarum gritted her teeth, her voice an assertive formality. "Well, Lord Niveus, let's not tarry here any longer. We must get m'lord and Lady Stella to somewhere safer than this."

Rosarum set off at a brisk pace, long stride shuffling her long habit skirt, hands clasped tensely together. Not wanting to aggravate the normally patient woman, Niveus matched strides with his even longer legs, eyes lingering to her lips set in a grim line, tears held behind disciplined walls.

The nanny in Stella's charge followed suit, cradling her small mistress who looked as innocent and vulnerable as an infant.

They made way, finally, to the infirmary.

It was shaped like a large oval, floors of black-veined white marble shined with a polished veneer. The high curved ceiling was like the hood of a baby carriage, high tendrils of stone meeting at an apex, intricate carving embossed into those cold tentacles. At the ceiling's zenith an ornamental chandelier like a crystalline conch shell glowed from an orbed light source, cradled by glass-thin curved walls. The stark white now reflected the cool blue moon, the floor accepting a similar hue. The stalwart wall opposite the creeping stone embrasure of arms brazenly stuck forth marble sculptures of the celestial beings of healing under wing of the ever-present Goddess Etros. They were lifeless on their raised platforms, an ethereal ultramarine enveloping them. Half a ring of inlaid stone frames supporting thick mattresses and downy comforters and pillows waiting to be used, reserved for only those of supremely high status. Large openings of windows were mounted between stone tentacle captors, light not at all reflecting, instead letting the moon seep un-interred through.

Rosarum rushed to the side of one, gesticulating to Niveus for him to set Noctis down. Niveus complied, walking with a steady gait to the bedside.

He gently lay Noctis down, feet first and lastly his head, kneeling in his efforts. Rosarum began barking orders for attendants to bring her that medical apparatus and this medical tonic. Stella by now had been laid upon her own bed adjacent to Noctis's, her nanny timidly gesturing shy attendants forward, politely asking for this and that. It was quite a contrast to Rosarum's assertiveness.

"A white mage! Someone summon a white mage!" called Rosarum. "Lord Niveus has done enough, but I reckon there's still internal damage to them both."

She glanced sidelong at Niveus for a moment. "M'Lord, please, why don't you rest? You've endured the worst of them both and could use a break. We'll find someone to fix you up."

Before Niveus could comply, he asked, "Will Noctis and Stella be alright?"

Rosarum softly smiled. "Yes, they will."

"There isn't anything more that can endanger them?"

Rosarum glanced at Noctis, petting his eternally mussed hair, spiky as a porcupine's. "Everything is within our capabilities."

"Ah, that's good—"

Niveus's eyes began to falter, a thin, weak smile spreading across his face. He felt himself lean precariously backwards. Submitting to a curious floating sensation, he couldn't even feel himself connect with the solid mass of ground.

"Lord Niveus! Lord Niveus! Someone, quick! Get him off—"

* * *

Last thoughts: Okay, I am so lame for not only giving a completely plot-less "settle-down" chapter but for also leaving you hanging at what could have potentially been a great extension…but I honestly have nothing. I really am only writing this on impulse and the storyboard director in my mind told me to stop here. I do promise you, though, that to make up for this I will spend the next week giving you a completely awesome chapter full of plot and great ideas. And it'll be a long, cozy read, too. And then we'll launch into the chapter that will change the entire course of the story: the story of how all three of them obtained their powers.

Something a little extra: If you check out my profile and look at the **Legend Lost** subcategory you will find the very piece of concept art: Niveus's character design! (Thirteen year old Niveus, anyway.^^)

I really wanted to thank all of my readers, dedicated and new, who have been giving me great reviews. I promise I'll give you a story worthy of your time and it'll be a great one at that. Enjoy!

Oh, before I forget, Happy Sakura Hanami Season! I know it's late but here where I am the blossoms stay in bloom for a while; even the notoriously short-lived cherry blossoms. They are extremely beautiful and worthy of long gazes, don't you think?

As always, review, review, review!


	4. And So They Say

"There's place and means for every man alive."

-William Shakespeare

* * *

"Your majesty?"

A weakened intake of breath, the sounds and lights too intense to bear; perpetual darkness seems very comforting now.

Was it a sin to forget the face of your mother, to wonder at the sound of your father's strong and mighty voice? Was atonement necessary to remember such seeming trivialities?

No, for the mind can't sin if the body does nothing to complete the act.

"Oh, your majesty, please wake up! It's been so long…"a voice for familiar and distant pleaded.

Stella's eyes struggled open, blinking away milky opaque to fog and finally something of weakened clarity. She blinked again, squinting in the overbearing light. Head turning left and right, she tried to experimentally focus on the tentacles of support and the gaping abyss of night permeating through, on the moon-lit statues on their heightened perches, and finally on the face of Noctis, asleep in a state of sweet unconsciousness.

"Noct!"she hoarsely whispered, her voice escaping the notice of the flurrying nurses, their habits billowing like great sails on a pleasant sea breeze. Stella tried lifting herself upwards only to be rudely impeded by pain.

"Ah…!"she breathed heavily, gasping. Sweat began draining down her face as if they were in a desert or under the blazing sun. A nurse rushed over to her side, shushing her into a calm and gently pushing her down again into a fluffy embrace of crisp sheets and a comforting pillow.

She anxiously casted glances at Noctis, feeling tears of frustration and desperation well up within her eyes.

"Will he be alright?" she said, her throat constricting with a burning sensation. The nurse nodded automatically, Stella's heartrending pleas too much for the young nurse to bear.

"His majesty will be right as rain before you know it, my Lady," the nurse said calmly, forcing her mouth into the semblance of a smile. Stella could only gap up at her with disbelieving eyes, her mind reeling with worry.

"What about Niveus?" Stella asked suddenly after a moment, trying to force herself again into a seated position. She mentally berated herself for forgetting her other best friend, her older brother.

The nurse gulped suddenly and peered over Stella to the bed to the left of the girl, Niveus's silent form in a state akin to Noctis's. She gasped, finally feeling the tears pouring down her cheeks.

"H-He did his best to protect us when the basilisk-salamander attacked us," Stella whispered silently, breath hitching in her throat before she could continue, "and h-he almost could've…died…!"

"You've all been asleep for a few days now, but they should awaken shortly. They're healing splendidly," the woman tried to reassure, her words making some impact.

Stella almost melted from relief. The stony hold of anxiety and fear had now faded and released her from its fearsome grip. "Thank the goddess…" she said in a quavering breath. Her hand rose to shield her eyes, she inhaled and exhaled for a few moments to calm herself.

"Why don't you get back to sleep, Highness? You must still be exhausted," the nurse said, fussing around with clattering bottles of medicine on Stella's bedside table. Holding a brilliant bottle that glimmered like the waves of the sea even in the dim light, she poured a small amount into a small glass, the hazy beige liquid catching the light beautifully.

Stella timidly took the small phial, hands cupping around it. She noticed that her hands were distorted in rings, bands of white, beige, and her own skin distorting strangely in the light. She gingerly raised the vial to her lips, quickly draining it. She handed the phial back to the nurse as the liquid created a curious burning sensation in her throat, she shivering unpleasantly. As it subsided, Stella immediately felt refreshed, her sleepy stupor gone.

"That was a potion, milady. It was specially developed by our white mages for medical purposes and is supposed to greatly increase the output of white blood cell creation in the body which in turn stimulates terrific internal healing. You should feel immediate results," the woman informed matter-of-factly. Stella breathed a sigh of relief.

"When will you be able to administer the proper dosage to Noctis and Niveus?" Stella asked worriedly, finding that she could sit up in bed, head flipping between her seemingly sleeping best friends.

"As soon as they awaken, my lady."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Stella said softly, sighing softly.

It wasn't until high noon that Noctis was awake, followed by Niveus only a few minutes after. Trepidation filled the minutes that Noctis and Stella hovered anxiously over Niveus, waiting, waiting, and waiting.

"Guys…?" came Niveus's weakened voice, one eye opening, the other blinded by white bangs, as always.

"Niveus!" they cried in unison. Stella began clutching her head and laughing victoriously while Noctis launched himself on the bed, lying next to Niveus and engulfing him in a hug around his neck. Niveus blushed deeply, but not before Stella emulated her blue-haired best friend, only sitting on her legs, trying her best not to choke him in a similar embrace.

"Okay, okay, I see that you're glad to see me," Niveus said, laughing as he playfully shoved away Noctis like an annoying little brother and plied Stella's hold around him off as any embarrassed teenager would. Noctis almost fell ungracefully to the floor but caught himself, Stella having the luck of just being gently pushed aside.

"Niveus, what happened to you?" demanded Noctis, concern filling his voice with an unexpected maturity.

Niveus started slightly from the abruptness of Noctis's question. Upon rationalizing it, he was able to form a coherent response. Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "It was just a little bit of exhaustion. I did cast a few very high level spells, you know. But…protecting you guys was worth it. You're much more important than a little bit of stamina."

Stella's face spanned into a smile, stifling soft giggles with her hand. Niveus was blushing again, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Noctis smiled warmly. "I guess I owe you one, huh?" he said finally.

Offering a hand, Niveus took it and they shook, pumping their hands firmly up and down. Stella joined in as well, her small hand warmly overlapping theirs.

* * *

"Oh my, how it's good to see you all well again!"

"Look at how handsome Lord Niveus is becoming!"

"Lady Stella is becoming a rather resplendent young lady herself."

"Lord Noctis is starting to look like his father. Etros bless his soul!"

Noctis bowed his head underneath the gazes of several court members, feeling their predatory feelers running over the fresh prince. Niveus was walking by his side, protectively hovering over Noctis who hovered over Stella in turn, the young girl maintaining a surprisingly mature composure. Perhaps Noctis would have to learn how she did it.

The room that they now trod upon was extremely large and cavernous. From the four corners of the room four exquisitely detailed columns curved upwards to meet at an apex where a glamorous chandelier easily the size of a bahamut hung downwards like a bouquet of drying flowers, small buds of tear-shaped glass with numbers equal to a tree's leaves sparkled and shimmered a plethora of colors, all spanning the color spectrum. Underneath those columns were several layers of arches shrinking downwards until they stopped at ornate stone doors of a crystalline material, all embellished with extraordinarily polished crests of Luna Parvulus, Noctis's soon to be inherited kingdom. Painted in the colors the sea and polished in the hues of the sky, the room sustained the illusion of being one with the sky. Superseding the chandelier was an enormous band of windows that showcased the rolling grey undersides of empyrean schooners and the wide expanse of blue the sailed through.

Row upon row of pews with wooden surfaces affixed to their backs, acting as a writing surface for any who sat there, lined each side of the room, kneeling before leveled stages where ornate and vacant chairs sat waiting to be occupied by preceding rungs of the nobility ladder. Of course, at the very zenith, sat the long empty thrones that should have been occupied by a just monarch. However, when Noctis's mother died, her husband and king disappeared with her. Now the nobility formed a temporary congress to rule over the kingdom in the absent king and queen's stead.

Beside the stages were gallant sculptures of magnificent white stallions and the armor clad knights they bore which stood in silent testimonial beside large cerulean crystals that bent and wavered light like the ebbing waters. The cream-colored marble floor veined with jade added even more of a melodious air to the already ambient room. However, Niveus, Noctis, and Stella didn't feel at ease at all in this great place of debate and political science.

Their footfalls echoed resoundingly off the stone walls, cool dissonance in their ears. At least they weren't here for particularly bad reasons.

"Your eminences, today we would like you to sit through a few hours of our noble congress so that you may one day undertake such duties I your own kingdoms," a regal and ancient voice sneaked up behind them, startling the younger two. Battle worn Niveus was hardened in the ways of unknown assault and retained his composure to mild indifference. Noctis was entranced by this and emulated his stoic older friend. Stella copied them simply because she didn't want to be left out.

The eldest of all of the congressmen chuckled amusedly to himself, intrigued by what he hoped would become young politicians.

He was quite an old man, stooped over in age and weighed down heavily in foot-consuming robes of Luna Pavulus colors, a cumbersome mitre of similar tones crowning his bald head. His chocolate-dark skin shined like a copper coin under the abundance of natural light; almond eyes of blue quiet and studious. His contemplating hands were gathered behind his back hidden by gregariously large sleeves. Thick white eyebrows were eaves over his eyes and a voluminous white beard hung dense and low, the very symbol of wisdom in men. He was the very epitome of knowledge and age-old experience in that room today.

"Master Atrum Owle, it is indeed and honor," Niveus said in sweeping grandeur, bowing formally with a hint of exaggeration.

When Noctis and Stella just gaped at the sight of such an important figure, Niveus's hand caught Noctis's robe sleeve and tugged him downwards, eliciting an awkward yelp from Noctis.

Embarrassed by this, Noctis buried his shame under thick metallic blue spikes. Stella quickly curtsied, thinking she did it a little too quickly.

A cloud of white flew up above Atrum Owle's eye, poking his tall mitre, that eye widened like a loony old man. He scrutinized them for a fraction of a second before bursting into uncomely laughter; tears squeezed their way from his wrinkle flecked eyes and into the dense forest of his beard. This startled Noctis and Stella again, the two of virgin newness in court awareness.

"You needed be so formal around me!"his voice booming with unexpected energy. "Come my young princes and princess, you didn't think I'd be lecturing you the whole time, eh?" His eyes crackled mischievously, but Niveus knew the wizened old man probably simply planned what he thought would be an exciting lesson in politics. And politics usually meant the fine arts of lying and mild corruption dashed with unintelligible jargon of the court.

"I thought you young royals wouldn't enjoy reading through thick tomes, something I love to do, so I thought I'd make it a little more interactive," he began with a supercilious grin, grey on pearls.

Noctis gave Stella a look of utmost dread, eyes dulling comically and lips dragged downwards into a pouty line. Stella giggled softly and adorably, sending Noctis's mind reeling into another bought of dialogues that should never be said.

Niveus elbowed Noctis, causing Noctis to whirl angrily and annoyed at his best friend. Amazingly Niveus was the semblance of blameless calm, the older boy silently insinuating "What?", as if Noctis had never been rudely jarred.

The energetic young children forced themselves into a mature calm, Stella practically fidgeting in her efforts.

Atrum Owle started his extremely long spiel on the amazingly detailed, and boring, history of the three kingdom's political sciences, lecturing the chandelier and proclaiming the wonders of politics to the still walls, which he must have assumed had ears.

Half an hour they stood, Noctis and Stella listening with stifled yawns and seeing with half-lidded eyes. They eventually sat upon the floor, Noctis swirling circles with his fingers and Stella tottering off to sleep on his shoulder.

Niveus was listening with amazing concentration and focus, fingers intently holding the curve of his chin and head nodding at the appropriate moments. His stance was relaxed yet elegant, making him look like a superior scholar in the makes with his level of interest. Even now Noctis had no desire to be a caricature of his best friend. And Stella was beyond saving now.

It had been over a week since their encounter with the deadly enemy, their recovery, and their acceptance back into the doldrums of their lives. All three had made a stunning recovery thanks in part to the specially concocted potion. Niveus had actually drunk several well-sized bottles of the potion, to the fascination of Stella and Noctis, which had facilitated a great leap in his recovery time, him being the worse for wear of all of them. A few more days of strict bed rest and mild activity had rounded out the treatment before they were released with fond farewells from the younger staff who had taken a liking in particular to Niveus, the enigmatic and handsome prince.

Noctis was too young to care about girls and their opinions, exempting Stella, and didn't understand Niveus's braggart manners afterwards. In all honestly Noctis wasn't very sure about even Stella despite their assumed closeness. He should be in utter disgust of girls at this moment in his life but didn't experience relationships with other girls to develop such alienating feelings.

Master Atrum Owle had now decided to break away from political history and now delved off into an excruciatingly detailed speech on the mechanics of politics to the walls and chandeliers, his booming voice the only thing keeping Noctis and Stella from drifting off into dreamland. Niveus had carefully produced a small notebook from his robes and was writing at a furious pace, nodding, his eyes flicking between the passionate old man and his scrawled words.

A young woman of sixteen entered the room; a self-proclaimed apprentice of Master Atrum's garbed in a flowing and elaborate dress, her dainty heels clopping on the floor.

"Master Atrum," she said, interrupting with her airy voice.

Atrum whirled around and extended his arms in wide welcome. "Ah, if it isn't Barga Puella! How are you this fine afternoon, my disciple?" he said jovially, extending his hand which she took and shook with small motions.

Niveus noticed her as well, and she him. She instantly became attracted to the handsome young prince, her pretty face lighting up and putting on flirtatious airs.

"Barga Puella, I presume your master addressed you?" Niveus said suavely, gently taking her extended hand which he kissed softly. She blushed, obviously satisfied.

Behind Niveus's back Noctis made an unbecoming gagging noise, hands mockingly clutching his throat. Stella was awake by now and again stifling giggles, humored by Niveus's flirtations and the girl's romantic endeavors, something the nine year old couldn't take seriously.

Niveus scowled as Puella turned around, his face hidden from her sight. He took an index finger and made a stiletto motion across his throat, suggesting decapitation. Puella was obviously irked until she studied Noctis and Stella more closely, folding her arms in irritation.

"Excuse me, you majesties? Is my conduct with Prince Niveus offending you?" Noctis's face was hidden, as was Stella's, keeping their humored faces from her blazing eyes.

"No…" Noctis said, eyes flying in a wide circle aloft, demurely smiling in absent attentions. Stella bit back more laughter.

"I couldn't quite hear you. Would you mind getting off the floor, your highnesses?" she demanded, veiling it beneath formality.

Noctis stood, Stella timidly grasping his hand. "I said no," he said with more volume, rising into equal levels of annoyance. He bore his brilliant green eyes into hers, trying to mentally stagger Barga Puella.

Her arms unfurled themselves and her eyes bulged in fascination. She was captured by Noctis's beauty, knowing that the young prince would someday be an extremely handsome man. She was also awestruck by Stella's own developing looks.

She fumbled into a curtsey, saying, "My apologies, majesties, at my rude behavior. I beg your pardon," she said, trying to placate the irked prince.

Noctis eased himself into a forced, polite smile. "At ease, Miss Barga." Niveus's hand slapped his face at the fickleness of this girl. She really was true to her name; after all it literally meant "Stupid Girl."

"My disciple needs to be leaving now for she much studying to complete," Atrum said, voice dropping into deep seriousness.

"Good day Master Atrum, my lords and lady," she said hastily, reddening embarrassment clouding her face. She rushed in a flourish, robes and sleeves billowing like sails.

Noctis smiled coyly at Niveus, sauntering ever to the older boy. "You might want to look into better girls, eh, Niveus?"

An eyebrow twitched, Niveus seizing Noctis in a deadlock.

"Noctis you idiot! Can't you shut up for two seconds?" he yelled, Noctis squirming and struggling wildly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Noctis cried, trying to amend his enraged friend. Luckily, Stella did that for him.

"Let—him-go!" she cried, words enunciated by her foot stamping on Niveus's. He yelped and immediately complied, practically flinging Noctis into Stella.

They collapsed into a heap, Stella screaming in surprise and Noctis silent in shock. Noctis and Stella awkwardly locked eyes for a few seconds before breaking it apart and scrambling from each other's awkward hold. Regaining their composure, they spaced themselves, too shaken and embarrassed to acknowledge each other.

Master Atrum burst into gregarious laughter, clutching his sides and pounding the air with his wide swath of loud laughter.

"Kids these days! Ahahahahhurhumhahaha waoooo!" he laughed in a strange rush, voice rocking the air.

Niveus covered his own mouth with unintended elegance, laughing with much more calm and composure.

Remembering what had happened between them, Noctis and Stella's eyes avoided each other's, unsure of what to say.

* * *

"Noctis?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to Niveus. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

A head shook in the darkness. "That's okay Stella. It's not your fault."

Stella's head leaned tiredly on Noctis's shoulder, hand searching and finding his. They were sitting on the balcony outside of Noctis's room, gazing upon the dark silhouette of the forest and the purple aura sky, the great dome a nest for a multitude of stars and silent galaxies, the two children gazing on in quiet awe.

The room inside was blanketed in darkness, Niveus quietly sleeping inside, continuing their tradition of sleepovers whenever possible. The whole world, exempting the night sky, was mantled in darkness. The stars reflected in their eyes, faint light catching their faces and hair. To each other they looked beautiful.

"I can still see that light. That light no one else but us can see. Can you see it, Noct?"

"Yeah, I can." His fingers curled around Stella's, feeling warmth and comfort radiate throughout.

"Noct, I'm scared. What is this light? What does it mean for us? …What will the future hold?" Stella confided, her long hair veiling her pretty face.

"I'm not sure, Stella, but whatever happens I'll be there to protect you. Will you protect me, too? You're so strong," Noctis said, leaning his head on hers.

"I will, Noct. We'll protect Niveus, too."

"Let's protect each other. We'll be a perfect shield, the three of us."

Noctis loosened her grip on his hand and wrapped his arms around her neck, she leaning sweetly in, hands touching his comforting embrace.

They looked onwards to the stars, focusing in unison. Stella let out a soft sigh of contentment.

"I'd like that so much," Stella said, drifting into a faint sleep.

* * *

Last thoughts: Sorry I made you wait almost three weeks for a fairly uneventful chapter. I've just been so tired and short of energy as well as lacking a proper muse. Feel free to shoot me in the face (I already have. .).

I also made Noctis a little too gary-stu-ish by making Barga Puella (literally "Stupid Girl" XD) completely awestruck by his "uhmayzing" looks, which made him instantly a gary-stu for a moment. . I hate Mary-sues and Gary-stus and try to avoid making characters in likeness to that dreadful stereotype. I hope I did a good job!

I promise you that by the next chapter I will have a definite plot. I thought I should release a chapter every week but if that means grinding out really bad chapters than I'll forsake the deadlines in favor of irregularity. It would be awful if I did that to you when I'm grateful for your much needed and continual support. Here's to an amazing next chapter!

(By the way, Atrum means "Wise" and Owle is just a fanshay spelling I came up with. XD)

As always, review, review, review!


	5. My Light, My Love

_My last night here for you_

_Same old songs, just once more_

_My last night here with you?_

_Maybe yes, maybe no._

_I kind of liked it your way_

_How you shyly placed your eyes on me_

_Oh, did you ever know?_

_That I have mine on you_

_

* * *

_

"Prince Noctis!" a soothing hiss beckoned. Noct flipped his head up, rubbing sleepy eyes. He smiled tiredly, making the addresser smile back unknowingly.

"Rosarum," he whispered in acknowledgement, turning to Stella, sleeping a few feet away in his bed; then to Niveus who was slumped across a chaise like a cat napping in the rejuvenating summer sun. He slowly shrugged off the blankets draped over him, rising from the mountainous silk cushions to quietly approach Rosarum, his bare feet quiet on stifling cool marble.

Proceeding quietly, he daintily tiptoed his way to the great and ornate door where Rosarum awaited him, the handmaid trying to stifle laughter from the young prince's exceedingly exaggerated movements.

"Come along, m'dear, we have to get you all spruced up."

"Why just me?" Noctis whined as they rushed down the hallway, Noctis looking up pleadingly at his beloved nanny who had become something of a mother to him. "Can't Niveus and Stella accompany me?" He pouted for extra effect.

However, Rosarum was immune to this gesture and kept her eyes trained ever forward.

"Prince Noct, the Council of the Thirteen requested an audience with only you. I was told they had questions that needed answering."

Noctis lowered his head in contemplation, blue and spiky locks hooding his expression from Rosarum's eyes. Concerned as she earnestly was, she had to keep her mood firm to keep Noctis settled until he met with the Council of Thirteen.

Upon hearing their name Noctis' head lowered even further, a gloom settling in his presence. Noctis hated the Council of Thirteen because of their abject hatred of himself, Niveus, and Stella, suspicious of their future like many others. Their connection to the Goddess Etros brought uneasiness to a war-weary people, they disbelieving any prophecy of good and putting much stock in ones of ill-intent, their hearts not ready to embrace peace.

He quickened his pace, grudgingly ignoring the woman so beloved by him.

"My lord, I have to say in this," she caught up to him, stopping him, "but that doesn't mean you should ignore their demands. They're your sovereigns and demand much respect. They brought peace to us upon your parents' passing—"

"ENOUGH!" Noct cried suddenly, whirling around in a flurry of robes to glare at Rosarum, the middle-aged woman shocked into silence. His balled his hands into quivering fists. The hair that was usually a dull blue like a wine-dark sea flared a lively Prussian and cobalt blue, his eyes flaring into a phosphorous red a neon sign.

For a full second Noct retained this form before fading out from it, his eyes resuming a myrtle green color, his hair the familiar dull blue. He released a shaky sigh before collapsing to the ground on his knees, kneeling in his sudden weakness.

"What happened?" he said with empty recognition, his eyes glazing over as if from sleep. Rosarum rushed to his side and slowly pulled him upwards.

"I don't know," Rosarum answered in awestruck cluelessness. Her normally sharp eyes, the brimming wisdom he loved her so much for, seemed to have retracted inside her mind to search for an answer.

"Let's just get you to where you need to be. There's a sort of public bathing house residential nobles and the like use. We can use it to clean you up a bit," Rosarum said, changing the subject, perhaps gleefully imagining Noctis all squeaky clean for his audience with the Council of Thirteen. Had this been a lighter situation, Noct would've cheerfully gone forth with it. However, Rosarum knew the boy would rather be several kilometers away from this place then in their midst.

He had a somewhat clouded reason for hating them. Despite their peaceful suspension of the throne, they had treated Noct with a fair deal of respect, despite doubting him for his age on many occasions. However, once the symptoms of having been touched by the Goddess Etros, they began to oust him bit-by-bit. They began treating him more like a threat or a weapon, no one knowing what blessings or curses Etros would someday bestow upon him.

Noctis quietly went along, feeling exhausted from the sudden release of energy.

Within his heart he knew…that the day of blessing was fast approaching.

* * *

He had been cleaned up quickly, told to dress in the formal robes mandated by formal etiquette. Rosarum did her best to soothe his restless hair, but the spikiness prevailed and there was no change in its condition. Having sighed, defeated, Rosarum shooed him along.

They were walking down a long tube-like corridor of sinister obsidian, feeble crystals casting luminescent light like lonely stars in the night sky. Seeing them made Noctis reflect upon the meaning of him own name "Light Within the Night Sky." He shook off approaching gloomy thoughts. Concentrating instead on studying the flawlessly smooth floor, showcasing a glowing, fluorescent river beneath that swept past. Ripples cast themselves upon the darkened walls, scales of a glowing electric blue. They eased the loneliness of the darkened atmosphere and yet it felt so artificial. Flickering bead-like sensors pulsated like illuminated raindrops on a window pane, watching Noctis and Rosarum as they made their quiet descent to the entrance of the audience chamber.

Suddenly, the tube gave way to a grand entrance room, a crystal graced by strings of glittering crystal beads sparkling in the larger's quiet light. The sheer size of the room made Noctis feel slightly nauseated; what a poor preparation for what lied within. Two guards armed in golden tinted armor stiffened at the sight of the young prince, their eyes flickering nervously in a silent exchange between the two sentinels.

A door of grand volumes stood before them, two petrified blue reliefs of Shivas jutting from it. Their bodies up to their midsections were consumed in adamantine waves of rippling ice, their solidified hair billowing in imagined wind. Their palms touched, perfect in shape for a giant to grasp, but no one there was tall enough to accomplish such a feat.

One of the guards turned from earshot and whispered into a neck piece, the faint crackle of radio interference babbling throughout the cavernous yet silent room. A hissed cackle filled the ear of the man who had spoken into it not a moment ago, he nervously acquiescing to an unheard request. He repositioned himself like before, turning to the young royal and his aged escort.

"Your Majesty, the Council of Thirteen awaits you," the guard said with staged grandness, he hiding his nervousness behind forced etiquette. Noct could sense all of this, sighing inwardly. He knew that whatever the Council had called him forth for would definitely have to do with Etros and her impending Blessing.

Stiffly he held himself straight, loosened just enough to suggest confidence that he didn't have. He was careful to keep his hands unclenched and relaxed. If they could sense any discomfort they might be able to manipulate him for answers.

The doors opened with an agonizing creak, filling and grating Noctis' ears. He might have winced but his played down fear seemed to have gotten the better of him.

There before him spread a vast and grandly heighted white stone cathedral-like room, looming domes where two curving columns met seemed to succeed forever in a blazing white. Recessed in the walls were magnificent stained glass windows dyed in muted tones, sunlight filtering through in mild gloom, like an overcast sky. Nestled between the rests before a new window pressed inwards were towering white statues of people clad in simple cloaks, hooded, some with their palms clasped together and others holding white wreaths that resembled olive leaves. Narrow, great-in-length slate tapestries hung depressingly from their perches, no breeze to rock them quietly. A high stony black wall in the shape of a horseshoe swung around, reaching side to side of the grand room, dozens of arcing depressions hewn into it by master craftsmen. Rich lacing details and coiling stone rope accented the white-framed arches, intricate detailing ogling the viewer. Four especially prominent columns jutted out in darkened colors, white platforms supporting rushing marble angels proffering shining grey candelabras to invisible masters, adamantine robes conforming to their feminine bodies. In the dead center rested a great stone table hewn by masterful stone masons tipped with standing lamps supported by one narrowing and bulging leg, elegant in intricate design. Twelve men of suited standard sat in chairs that could've easily passed for thrones, their muffled voices consumed by the chamber's vastness. At the very head sat a grim man with his mouth set in a hard line occupying the grandest of all the darkened thrones, its height excelling over all of theirs. His eyes lifted to see Noctis walking slowly over the checkered and polished marble floors, footfalls collaborating with silence.

"Prince Noctis," he began, lone acknowledgement echoing throughout the room. Their matching eyes met before the suited man lowered them, careful to regard the hereditary hierarchy.

Noctis quickened his steps at the tone of the man's lightened impatience, feeling his heart brisk even faster.

His approach was not unheeded by the other men present, their subtly shifted eyes boring into his person like dogs sizing up the young and fresh prey before them; prey could be their divine salvation or their ultimate destruction.

"Prime Regent Pallis," Noctis nearly muttered, his voice softened by their grating stares. The man at the head of the table smiled in cold recognition for a moment before his demeanor once again reached absolute zero.

"Do you know why you are here…You Majesty?" Pallis asked with a mockery of friendliness in his tone, head tilted to the side for a moment. Noctis gritted his teeth, remembering how much Pallis loved to play coy with a monarch too young to even take care of himself.

"You wished to speak with me," Noctis said neutrally, hiding the supreme discontent in his voice. His eyes were ready to plead for his release, but pride wouldn't let him.

"Do you know about what?" Pallis asked again, fatherly tone eliciting stifled snickers from the other men present. It was as if Pallis didn't even see them.

"No…" Noctis said, for once having really no idea. No one had even told him and his mind couldn't be trusted for confirmation.

Pallis rose from his chair and began pacing the room, a hand loosely fisted beneath his chin in thought. He suddenly paused, eyes flicking to the young prince. He then turned to face Noctis like an animal challenging an intruder; the male lion shaking its mane at the seemingly harmless kitten.

"Lord Niveus, Lady Stella, you all have quite deep and profound connection, do you not?" challenged Pallis, both hands clutching the edge of the table, shoulders hunched and position hunched threateningly forward.

Noctis nodded once, feeling too cornered to speak.

"You all have been targeted as the children of a rather superstitious prophecy, haven't you?" asked Pallis. The rest of the Council became rather engrossed in their exchange, trying to hear better by craning their necks forward and focusing their hearing on either of the speakers.

Noctis feebly replied, "Yes…"

"Ah, and are not the three of you extremely close? I believe you three are described as being 'an inseparable bunch, like they were conjoined,' 'like orphans who lost a mother in common,' among other things."

"Um, yes. We aren't sure why, but our closeness supposedly contributes to our survival and separation is usually extremely hard on us. Once I—"

"LORD Noctis, I never asked you to elaborate. Please, I'm sure keeping it simple would be easier on your stress-bombarded mind," Pallis interjected sharply, rubbing his temples in stressed impatience.

"I apologize," Noctis muttered in a tone near to inaudible, lowering his gaze in defeat. What was Regent Pallis trying to accomplish? What were he and his Council of subordinates after?

"It is prophesized that the Goddess Etros will 'abduct' you three children and in a long process will craft you powers suited to your being. It's supposed to take a very long time…she will probe every corner of your mind, exploring memories before you, unearthing memories you may wish never to experience ever again. Are you ready to take that challenge?" Pallis set his mouth again in a hard line, scrutinizing Noctis with an unchallenged hardness.

"What choice do I have? What choice do we have? This was set in stone for us; there is no altering it. Whether she tortures us or nurtures us is settled upon a whim. Gods and Goddesses can have multitudes of faces. They really are quite impersonal," Noctis responded, staring ahead into nothingness.

"Do you hate them for it?" Pallis practically sneered, face wrinkling into prideful distaste.

"No," Noctis said with instinctive sharpness,"…I just feel…sad…"

"I see. You are dismissed, your Highness," Pallis said with airy dismissal, waving a hand as if to shoo the child prince before him away.

"Is that all?" demanded a man with long black hair and weathered features.

Pallis raised an eyebrow, following Noctis as the boy turned to walk—float, really—out of their grand meeting hall, blinding pearlescent white settling as a halo on the boy's head.

"Yes, and do you have any objections to my decision?"

"No, sir, but didn't we bring him here to—"

"Prince Niveus did that for us," Pallis said lightly, sighing regally.

At the mention of Niveus' name, Noctis instinctively turned his head, trying to hear their whispers. However, Pallis grandly announced that the Minister of Finance was there and would need their attentions. Noctis just shook his head and walked on, pretending he didn't hear a word.

* * *

Once Rosarum retrieved him he was silent and sullen until he was returned to his room.

"Are they really so mean, Noct?" Stella asked quietly as she held the sobbing prince. Tears of compassion formed in her eyes, threatening to overflow with Noctis'.

He nodded into her arms, spiky grayish hair drifting up and down.

Niveus was leaning against a wall nearby, contemplating into an empty abyss, eyes unfocused. His brows creased downwards the slightest bit more, his frown turning gritty just for a moment.

The sudden slamming of a fist against marble walls echoed frighteningly throughout Noctis' room, shocking both Noctis and Stella from their stifled tears.

"I've had enough of this! Noct, Stella, we have to be strong! I don't know when the Blessing will be, but you need to look beyond the negativity! Imagine! We'll be granted the power to eradicate our enemies and bring peace to our kingdoms! You may not see it, but our kingdoms are at each other's throats. Their daggers may be hidden in cloth for now, but its been tearing slowly and deeply until war will consume us. Maybe we can stop it," Niveus cried passionately, face enthralled by excitement.

"What do you mean?" Noctis asked in a shaking voice. Stella focused down at him, he slowly retreating from her arms.

"Our crystals. That Goddess Etros is said to impart fragments of her being in the form of crystals and those crystals act as a medium to bestow her powers when the world is in dire straits. Each kingdom possesses one; as infants we were presented and blessed at birth. We received parts of her powers because of the unusual circumstances we were born in. And very soon we will receive the completion of her blessing. Do you understand? Something terrible is about to happen…and we'll be the ones to stop it."

* * *

_Darling, so there you are_

_With that look on your face_

_As if you're never hurt_

_As if you're never down._

_Shall I be the one for you_

_Who pinches you softly but sure_

_If frown is shown then_

_I will know that you are no dreamer_

_

* * *

_

Last thoughts: I really have no way of expressing the guilt for keeping you from a new chapter for OVER A MONTH. In all honesty, I just got a great storm of plot ideas a few days ago that I knew would form the basis of the rest of the story. Still, it took too long. I'm sorry for that.

I really had a lot of fun describing the meeting chamber that's been seen in some trailers. Another thing dawned upon me: the game's name. Final Fantasy VERSUS XIII. So my mind figured that Noctis (maybe Stella?) would be fighting against 13. Thirteen what? People? Monsters? No one knows…but I've got a lot of fun ideas regarding the number. You'll see it pop up a lot more from now on. Noctis (maybe Stella and/or Niveus) will be pitted against things and/or people in sets of thirteen. It will help drive the story so much farther than just emptily writing things that come to mind. …I apologize for coming up with this so late in the story but its really just begun. I hope you continue reading~!

The lyrics are from Faye Wong's "Eyes On Me", Final Fantasy VIII's theme song.

As always, review, review, review!


	6. Book of Days, Tome of Nights

"There's place and means for every man alive."

-William Shakespeare

* * *

"Niveus, we don't even know if we'll survive the Blessing," Stella said quietly, watching as Noctis moved closer towards his friend, echoes of that deadly afternoon still prominent in his mind. Niveus didn't smile or offer any condoling glances, instead slinging his arm over his friend's shoulder and staring out through the fluttering breezes of the curtains and to the somber expanses of summer green. The clouds rolled passively by, the empyrean whites of the floating mists entrancing the topaz-gazed prince.

"You don't know that for sure, Stella," Noct said under the arm of his best friend, casting eyes warm with comfort towards the girl most beloved to him, she returning it with lisping doubt. Niveus wrapped another arm around Noctis, holding him with shaky confidence. He was always touched by his friends' clemency, but now he treasured it more than ever. His reddening heart beating with shades of fear found comfort in the presence of this boy so like a brother to him.

"I'm scared, Noct, Stella," Niveus whispered, feeling the timorous arms of Stella wrap around himself and Noct, her eyes squeezed shut from the pressures of sadness. Her blonde hair veiled her face as she buried herself within Niveus's side, dying his robes with a tincture of salt and a moist warmth. They both could feel the oldest boy's normally high confidence vacillate and stumble, the shadows of a loathed weakness starting to overtake him.

Noctis shyly held the fading warmth of his dear friend, holding the light with his hands. He closed his eyes, surrounded in a womb of warmth and camaraderie, looking within himself. He found himself within a great swirling abyss, flickering shadows engulfing him and his light; he radiated it, reviling the darkness that both feared and loved him. Luminous spheres of light floated before him, speaking in lowly voices shrouded in whispers.

_And so we meet again, Prince Noctis, _the brightest of all of them greeted, the largest of them all radiating a blue that was terrifically familiar to the young boy. Suddenly, it blinded him in a sunburst, collecting all of the energies with linear rings, never disconnecting from the main body, gathering the power of countless orbs. It convulsed once, twice, before erupting in sparks of light that disconcerted him.

Noctis brought his hands to shield his eyes, before lowering them again, floating in windless silence. Before him stretched wings of light and dark, the single florescent blue wing and the gyro of a language unknown to him. It floated in the darkness, a space of void and loneliness.

Noctis found himself upon solid ground, the supernova of cloudy particles reflecting and absorbing light enchanting him, drawn to its familiar presence he'd scripted not even a week before. He stepped once, thrice, before his feet began a mindless procession towards the symbol floating above the empty waters of this place. The darkness followed him in wispy trails, still refused by his outpouring of shadow-loathing light.

_I am the power residing within you. The Goddess Etros will soon bestow you its full promise, but for now I am all there is. Are you ready to accept me, Light Within The Night Sky? _

Noctis was before the unfolding and dissipating numerals and characters, extending a forlorn hand to the waiting power.

"Yes."

"Noctis, we have to run! There's something enormous coming from the forest in our direction, and we need to escape!" Niveus urged, shaking Noct from his blank descent into oblivion.

From the forest, they could hear the tremors of a great enemy stirring. Stella had been whisked away by her nanny to find sanctuary, Niveus opting to stay with his deadlocked friend. The poundings of the earth tolled louder with terrible dissonance, causing Noctis to bring himself to attention, face filled with an otherworldly calm.

Fire and virulent rumblings exploded from the aging secrets of the forest, trembling the earth with their seasoning of despair. High-pitched cries of panic echoed from the corridors behind, sounding from all forms of life escaping from within, like a disease wrought upon the body of the castle screaming in pain. There was no time for expectancy as the beast ripped asunder a portion of the forest, burning a crater wide and coalescent, a heating inferno of ash and cinders raining upon the gardens, catching aflame vulnerable plants, smudging the numerous sculptures with a defacing and smug black. Plumes of smoke and columns of black spread into the blue sky and suffocated lively blue with depressing death. Snowing ashes rained upon the balconies and every jutting precipice of the castle, blanketing it all with a searing warmth. Niveus ran to the balcony, leaving Noctis within the quiet confines of his circular room, the statuesque gods ad goddesses within as deadpan as he.

The roar ended all of his hopes.

From within the craterous inferno could be seen the eyes of a glowing evil, phosphorus and poison. Even from afar, Niveus could see that its size was immense, the height of the castle, base to turret. Only a silhouette could be seen from within the bathing geysers of heat, stark against the endless plumes of thick smoke, never relenting. A thick neck could be seen with hard plates for scales armoring it, jutting lances of bone permeating from that neck, thick and long. The body was supported on two massive hind legs with bony protrusions and two smaller forelegs that set the beast at an awkward angle when on all fours. Spikes jutted from its back, large folded wings long in length with membranes like aged parchment, and the coloration was doubtlessly dark. Fans of bone and membrane on either side of its head framed its face, dangerous tusks long and deadly bulging from its gaping maw.

"Stand aside, or fight with me, Niveus," Noct said from behind, standing next to Niveus. His hair was now a familiar electric steely Yale blue, eyes alight with a ignited carmine. His demeanor was different, a strength unprecedented there. Niveus watched him in utter shock as Noct watched him, awaiting his decision. Niveus quickly snatched the sword resting closely by, the same one embedded with jewels and gold at and around the hilt, blade of a distorted and rough diamond, steeled by impervious magic. He put a hand to Noctis's shoulder, the boy smiling faintly, almost coming across as a smirk.

Both boys, feeling somewhat empty without the addition of Stella's comforting strength, poised themselves, Niveus noticing that Noctis was without a weapon. Noctis caught sight of Niveus's doubtful gaze, reciprocating it with one of a benevolent comfort. He turned away from those piercing gold eyes, now completely set upon the foe before them.

It was quite obviously a bahamut, the only dragon in existence capable of reaching such enormous sizes. The ground shivered as it growled, bellows of flame scorching the air, searing it with eroding temperatures. Noct and Niveus silently sized up their quarry, appraising it with expert eyes, especially Niveus who had slain the salamander-basilisk with such ease despite never facing the real trials of battle before. They both leapt to the banister of the balcony, letting the bahamut scrutinize them and seek them as its prey.

The mighty thumping of its massive wings rocked the air as it took flight, soaring over its nestling crater and blazed environment, roaring its approach. Noct was the first to descend from the balcony, landing to the ground with a feather touch. Niveus followed his now courageous friend, wanting to protect this place of memories as much as Noct did. Fueled by the desire to protect Stella, who was in sanctuary within, he sped forward. The bahamut landed, sizing up its tiny nemesis, seeming in disbelief that such a small child could be capable of harming it.

It didn't know how terribly wrong it would be.

Noctis's eyes flared as if in spiritual fire, light emanating from those carmine lights. His air seemed to float around him as power built within him. As Noct prepared his first assault, chills of Blizzaga were summoned by Niveus to quell the flames the beast had created, then pounding the beast with thunderous squalls.

Bahamut roared indignantly, raising its wings in attempt to shield itself, glowering at the white-haired boy. It hunkered to the ground until the wavering pelts of drifting snow subsided, righting itself.

It was too long a wait, however, as Noctis sprung from his charge, fingertips glowing with luminous threads, thick and deadly. He leapt up to the creature's eye, slashing without contact. Trails of light were left in the wake of his hand, he flowing into a descent.

Blood seemed to explode from the point of impact like water overflowing a dam. Another painful roar abounded, Niveus caught to attention. The older boy was astounded by what Noctis had done, though that didn't stagger him enough not to attack. He gripped his sword, dashing towards the raised hackles of the thick beast, knowing exactly where to locate its weakest points. Before he could reach his desired position, a claw slashed across his face, blinding Niveus in a river of blood. He screamed in pain, hand digging into the origin of the blood, unable to build up magic to cure it. He glared at the Bahamut, anticipating its next move.

"Niveus!" came Noctis's concerned cry. He dodged a volley of flames from the maw of the beast, some searing past his clothes and burning him badly. He suppressed the pain, focusing instead on his ailing friend.

Once at Niveus's side, Noct hurriedly cast Curaga, shimmering white light enveloping Niveus's wound, healing it superficially. Niveus had no time to thank him as a burst of spherical energy was sent their way, lightning compressed. It crackled as it cratered the ground where they had stood, their escape now airborne. Noct landed on the ground again, glowing fingertips ready to strike once more.

He sent another blow aimed for the head, only to be impeded by a swipe of a claw and the whiplash of its tail. Noct was buffeted by the tail, pummeled into the ground. The impact made him spurt blood from his mouth, settling as rivulets dribbling down his chin.

"Noct!" Niveus called in angry shock, maddened at the bahamut and worry flourishing for his friend. Noct quickly recovered, scrambling to his feet and sailing beneath Bahamut's belly, a swipe of his hand darting across the dragon's underside, soft and vulnerable.

Wide and long welts opened where Noctis pierced the bahamut with strands of ethereal light. Blood began to disgorge in the aftermath of Noctis's effortless carnage, dripping tremendously. Noctis was careful to avoid the crimson spills, iron hanging thickly in the air and gagging Luna Parvulus's prince with a stench foul and offending.

The bahamut burbled and growled in confusions of continuing will and waxing life. Prepared to fight to the death, the bahamut forced itself astride and balanced on merciless talons. Bahamut began hacking up purple mists into the air, filling the lungs of the two young princes. Noct and Niveus were unable to avoid it, breathing it in full. They knelt to the ground, coughing violently and trembling with unbelievable ferocity.

"Is this it, Noct?" Niveus breathed, laying besides his friend in tired surrender, moving closely towards the downed prince. He could see Noctis's consciousness fading, the eye still burning fiercely like a small sun, blinding to Niveus's weakened eyes. When Noctis moved his fingers the slightest, wavering tails of light in motion repeated the movements. Even if the body was weak, the powers residing within knew the threat was still present.

Bahamut growled in blood, forcing itself to rise, its final revenge the hope to smite these children who had nearly bested it. The sickening thud of its approach filled Niveus's ears, his eyes catching sight of the building fireball from within its maw. The flaring of its nostrils in its effort heaved like a bellow swallowing and exhaling air loudly.

This was it; their fate was sealed.

Niveus was starting to fade, but something stopped him.

Noctis was standing, his fighting hand extended. A great lance of light with many weaving patterns and fluttering sparks of power engulfed his arm, enormous in its size. It stabbed in the direction of the bahamut, silent eye of crimson light glaring at it accusingly.

This was Noctis, but Noct wasn't even conscious.

Another entity within him was manipulating him like a puppet.

And like a puppet, Noct's body obeyed perfectly, walking firmly and without human fear towards the Bahamut. Cinders of ash and raining sparks from his weapon upon the relentlessly scorched loam. Their battle had wiped away the once opulent gardens to waves of ash and convulsions of twisted plants burned with black scars, blemished by the movements of the lumbering behemoth, Bahamut.

Bahamut rumbled inquisitively in its throat, stamping towards Noct on its haunches. Niveus was bound by the paralysis that sourced from the poison, and all he could do was watch helplessly, sword still in hand, pains wracking his body into further submission to death. Noct should've been experiencing the same, but no effects of the poison were present now.

Dangerously it growled, letting the fireball loose upon Noct, the boy making no move to avoid it. Niveus was also in the path of the blast, deeply moved by Noctis's unfaltering protection of him while torn by guilt at his present state of uselessness.

Without heed the inferno roared towards Noctis, crackling hotly like the rage of an erupting volcano, and Noct continued to hold his ground. It neared closer and closer...

The lance of light was brought aloft, tearing down again as it ripped the fireball asunder. The fire blast divided and simmered into safer comets of fire, harmlessly winding into the ground and crackling contentedly. Noct hurdled himself into the air, bringing the final might of his anger upon the bahamut, a final stifling roar announcing its defeat. The new corpse of the bahamut began to radiate fireflies of its essence before smoldering into a final coruscating light, figments of light like flowering stars drifting heavenwards.

The light of Noctis's power slowly began to recede, the madness of vehement protection at last melting away. The weapon burdening upon Noctis's arm dissipated into nothingness, flashing away like a final firecracker. His stance staggered slightly, turning away from the exhausting battle.

Noctis stumbled weakly to the ground, raising his head and eyes towards Niveus's direction. He staggered steadfast towards his best friend, seeming to take an eternity. He finally reached Niveus's side, collapsing to his knees in his final mission for that harrowing day. He was still bleeding profusely, burns ravaging his skin and innumerable cuts spanning it. Tufts of hair were singed, pulled slightly by the hot breezes dancing with burning cinders.

He moved Niveus's head on his small lap, soothing away dirt and blood from his best friend's face. Despite being affected by poison and other such lacerations, Noct gazed at Niveus with warm eyes brimming with kindness.

"Hey, Niveus, look at what I got for you," Noct said in a voice hoarse and soft. He opened a hand clenched tight, a soft orange light like an innocent firefly radiating with a glowing light.

It was bahamut in its calmed form. He took the glowing orb and Niveus's arm, hand holding the orb floating over it. His hand floating down its length, an illuminated tattoo spreading in its wake. The graceful swirls and symmetrical patterns were aglow in a crystalline blaze, receding softly until it faded completely.

"It's your summon now, Niveus," Noct said, collapsing to Niveus's side. Niveus was immediately propelled by his friend's weakness, hovering protectively over him. The poison burned, his eye screamed with unbearable pain, and his body's strength was obliterated by this crushing weakness after expending all of his stamina fighting the Bahamut and struggling to retain his consciousness. His friend had nearly died for him and wanted fiercely to keep him alive.

Niveus turned his head in the direction of the oncoming crowds of people, ready to save them. At last feeling safe, Niveus collapsed to the ground besides Noct, awaiting the needed saviors, desperate to be healed.

Rosarum rushed to Noctis's side, eyes consumed in tears, scooping up the tiny boy in her arms, a maternal strength allowing such an aged woman to do so.

"Oh, m' prince, why must you suffer so?" she wailed, sobs shaking her body. She'd witnessed the last stretch of the battle, overcome with Noctis's strength just as much as anyone else, awed by the alienating beauty as much as everyone else. It seemed so impossible for such a small vessel of a body to be harboring such impressive and raw power. Yet, it had scared her profoundly. The boy who had been fighting the great Bahamut was so unlike the adorable young prince she had raised all of his life. She knew the day would someday some when he would succumb to the powers bestowed to him at birth, but that day always was tomorrow.

Two young nurses who'd doted upon Niveus more than a week before were in a deep pal of silence before the torn prince, driven to tears that such kindness and beauty could be crumpled so easily like a butterfly's fragile wings. A pair of woolen stretchers were rushed to them, both injured royals deposited carefully upon them.

They were taken to the infirmary from less then two weeks before, sky enveloped in a sinister black shroud. The beds from previous occupation were crowded around by white mages and medics, exclusive to such dire circumstances, usually reserved for the harsh front of battle. They worked to clean both boys as best they could of all grime and caked blood, silenced by the extent of both their injuries.

After being dressed in bandages and soft, comfortable robes, several rounds of curaga and esuna later, they were left to their comatose rest, all waiting in deep apprehension for the condition of their future rulers.

* * *

Last thoughts: Sorry for keeping you waiting so long! I've been really behind with updates, haven't I? I promise you new chapters will come in more rapid succession, so please be patient with me!

Noctis's powers: As stated before, all three of them were blessed at birth by the crystals of their respective kingdoms, each granted unknown yet unique powers. In the chapter previous, Noctis had been enraged at something Rosarum said and awakened them out of instinctive defense. In this chapter, he still hasn't obtained the abilities of teleportation or telekinesis. Those will come later when they experience the "near-death experiences." So, until then, Stella and Niveus's powers will be largely unawakened, compared to Noctis. Do you remember in the battle against those militia soldiers (suspected to be Tenebrae...?)? His tips of his fingers glowed and seemed to alight like the trails of sparklers, and I thought maybe this was the premature version of that.

I'm really grateful for all or your reviews! The time jump to present-day Noctis and co. will begin sooner or later.

As always, review, review, review!


	7. The Last Vestige of Innocence

"All things truly wicked start from innocence."

-Ernest Hemmingway

* * *

Stella awoke with a fright, nightmares having plagued her sleep. She glanced around the hospital ward, breath shaken and hands cold, trembling. She silently rose, moonlight casting paths of feeble light to guide her, dimmed crystals seeming to sleep, distorted by bobbing and weaving light like water. Upon the beds of Niveus and Noct, she came between them, studying their impassive, sleeping faces.

Already two weeks had passed since their frightful battle with the destructive forces of the Bahamut. Stella remembered seeing Niveus and Noct being carried in, at how badly mangled and bloodied they were. Noct's beautiful features had been marred by an excess of blood and grime, which made her fear for their lives. And yet she cursed herself for being so weak.

She suddenly felt disturbed, feeling the hairs on the nape of her neck bristle and her skin prickle. Whirling around, she was startled at the sight of one who stood as quietly as a specter, their face ashen and coarse with wrinkles, eyes deep set yet striking. The man's hair was slicked back, shining whenever they faintly wavered with movement in the crystals' light.

Inching out of her paralysis, Stella meekly curtsied. "Prime Regent Pallis," she acknowledged with a wavering voice, keeping her eyes lowered. Behind him, much to her relief, Rosarum was watching with worry from the shadows.

The man merely nodded before sauntering forward, face becoming grave with traces of disgust. He loomed over Noctis like a solemn statue, Stella doubting his condition before the man rasply spoke.

"Not even I could've anticipated the extent of their power," he began, "and they have yet to be taken entirely by Etros." His lips tugged into a brief smile before falling again.

"Princess Stella, I do believe that you have yet to show any fighting skill, isn't that right?" Stella started lightly at the question, but even she knew better than to show the slightest hint of intimidation.

"Only the Goddess may choose when the time is right," she said enigmatically.

Pallis turned away, his eyes once again fixated upon the sleeping form of Noct, skin reflecting the moonlight like a pearl, blinding yet soothingly ethereal. He narrowed his cunning eyes before turning on a heel and exiting as quickly as he'd come in, predatory and stealthy.

Stella, free from the restraints of diplomacy, ran into Rosarum's arms, the woman accepting Stella as freely as a mother would her child. She began to quietly sob, succumbing to the child she truly was.

"Ro-Rosarum!" she cried. "What does he want with us?" Rosarum, still feeling shaken from the Regent's presence, quickly came to and embraced Stella back.

"I'm not sure, child, but I'm sure that it's nothing to fear. He only wants what's best for Noct…" Her voice faded uncertainly. Stella stepped back, aghast.

Her eyes became teary and soon tears began to flow unbidden. "It's been two weeks! I'm not going to wait around like some helpless weakling! Noct…Niveus…I have to become strong! I'm tired of being so weak!" She freed herself roughly from Rosarum's comforting embrace, turning on her heels and breaking into a desperate sprint.

Rosarum reached out to Stella, but it was too late.

She dashed from the room like the devil was at her heels.

* * *

The charred remains of the gardens stretched in a lonely expanse before her. Each footfall brought an alienating sound, a crunch like the gnashing of a predator's teeth. The sky was clear, the night spilling forth as a tremendous blanket of meek stars and a velveteen sky. The forests were a quiet mantle of black, the wind stirring through the leaves restlessly. Two weeks had barely changed the landscape of the gardens, and the whiplash of earth and stone remained scattered in all directions, providing a tough escape for young Stella.

Tidings of war were another ruse for her fear. There had been an emergency assembly of the three regents from Caliga, Tenebrae, and Luna Parvulus. Hundreds of men and women had debated and argued for days, and no agreement could be reached. Behind closed doors, Stella had learnt of how both Luna Parvulus and Tenebrae had reached a decision that Caliga had been behind the assault once they'd discovered the glowing runes on Niveus's arm revealed to them through magick. In the forthcoming weeks, it was decided that Niveus would be sent back to his kingdom while she and Noct could remain together. The thought of their separation chilled her to the bone. She couldn't understand why they suspected Niveus of such a thing.

These thoughts ailed her while she broke through the rupture of the forest, shivering as she neared the crater where the Bahamut had appeared. She held her breath as a gust of sudden wind overtook her, feeling the cinders and ash as they brushed over her skin. Stella felt a chill overhanging the air as she neared, creeping quietly as if the summon were resting nearby. Flashes of the battle, still searingly vivid within her mind, and she reflected upon how strong Niveus and Noctis were compared to her. She felt a sick wave of jealousy cascade over her, which she couldn't banish from her thoughts.

The moonlight illuminated a broken path before her, light rushing towards her as the clouds drifted helplessly away, as if frightened away by nightmares. Stella feebly rose over the crest that punctuated a ring around the crater, peeking over nervously.

Before her spread a large pit masked in shadow, which belied a soft light at its lowest point, treasure at the bottom of an abyss. She gingerly skid down its side, hands and feet digging pitifully into the charred and darkened earth, moistened by the night's dew. The light flared softly, like a heartbeat, and Stella swore that she could hear faint sounds, trying to pronounce her name.

_You finally came, my dear, my child._

Stella froze, but began trembling despite herself. She released her grip on the wall and slid down, clothes stained black. The neon light flared strongly, enticing her into folds of radiant energy, washing over her making her feel as if she in a mother's embrace.

"Mommy?" she asked softly, crystalline eyes full and innocent like the child she was.

_You seek strength, is that not true, my child? You wish to receive the rest of my blessing._

Stella's smile faltered when she released that she spoke to the Goddess Etros, the ethereal voice lulling her into a false sense of security. Tears pinched from the corners of her eyes and she became scared.

She began to scream and struggle, helpless but unable to do anything else. She cried out the first names that came to her mind, only to find her voice trapped within her throat, reduced to a silent struggle.

A voice like liquid silver flowed through her, and although the language was unintelligible, it soothed her struggles and quieted her fears.

_My child, you have been blessed with gifts different from that of Noctis or Niveus. You were never weak; your lack of faith in yourself sealed your powers away. They've always been there, my child, but you must believe in yourself._

"How can I do that? Noctis and Niveus have always been stronger than me!"

A presence like wind ruffled her hair like she was its child, and soft laughter like bells pealed through her mind.

_How can you compare yourself to them? They are not you. Noctis has powers unique to himself that is different from that of Niveus's, or yours. None is stronger than the other; the gifts you shall someday fully receive will be unique to you and will strengthen you._

She felt the pressure of her sadness lifted, and she became relaxed. Stella became enfolded within a shell, warmth and tranquility overtaking her like sleep. A beat unique from her heart began to throb in chest, but it was mellow and calm, like the sun, but it felt powerful. She saw a small orb of iridescent light form within her open palms, where it grew slightly in size before returning to her.

She felt the warmth of the shell retract, where it collapsed in on itself, scattering around her like stars, suspended magically for a moment before gathering together and entering her body. Stella inhaled deeply and felt abnormally calm, like a being divine.

_I have only unlocked your potential, dearest Stella, but it is up to you to keep your fears at bay, like Noctis and Niveus, in regards to your ability. Now, you must defend yourself. I will protect you, but you alone must face a defeat this foe._

Stella's heart fluttered nervously, and Etros's protection faded completely.

There was a great rush of wind that overtook her, and Stella screamed and ducked to the ground. A mighty roar filled her ears, rising into an agonizing pitch. Stella glanced up, and was aghast at what she saw.

A great beast, like a bird stripped raw and plated with impenetrable-looking scales, hissed as it made contact with Stella. Fire poured from every orifice, from its eyes to beneath its armored plates, wings outstretched and crackling with massive tongues of fire. Its armor became scrawled with ornate and exquisite markings, Stella immediately understanding that it was a magical summon, most likely in the service of the Goddess Etros.

With a great thud, the beast succumbed to the ground, folding its flaming wings. Enormous talons and shining armor shone in its own firelight, reflecting its own formidability. Stella steadily rose, remembering Etros's words.

Flames crackled and danced as the great phoenix released a piercing cry from its maw, and its bird-like form melted away into something more humanoid, still retaining its inscribed armor and flaming wings; a large sword of stone and flame manifested in one hand, a great shield that shone like a rough diamond in the other, covered with many weaving blue marks in the other. A last aftershock of power sent Stella sprawling to the ground, overwhelmed by its power, but she chose to regain herself.

A deep breath calmed her, and her consciousness retreated deep within herself. It searched for the power once locked away, and she saw a vision of the orb flash through her mind. She reached for it, and she felt its power overtake her, but she had full control over it.

A great insignia, reminiscent of Noctis's, broadened behind her, and a delicate gold rapier began to take shape within her hands. Although it felt light and weak, she could feel an enormous, untapped power connect with her, confirming it as the manifestation of her blessed power.

Soft trails of light wavered off of the edge, dancing with the moonlight; the moonlight glancing off of the blade.

The summon, whom she assumed to be Ifrit, narrowed its glowing orbs as eyes, and made the first strike.

Stella brandished her sword, catching the blow and deflecting it. Ifrit's power caused the sleeve of her ceremonial robe to tear, creating a deep gash. Stella winced sharply, but ignored the searing pain. Her power catapulted her into the air and she dashed a blow on the summon's shoulder, creating a wound that seeped with power.

Ifrit bellowed a roar of pain and retorted with a whiplash of searing flame, which Stella leapt far away to avoid. It grazed her cheek, creating a gash that wept blood profusely after contact. She cursed, but wiped away the blood in a wet streak.

They continued to exchange blows for a moment more, each inflicting serious damage on the other. Stella was bleeding in many places and she was sure that her limit would be reached very soon. Ifrit, too, was being pushed to the edge. The great beast sent a large sphere of flaming energy towards her, which Stella narrowly avoided by a few inches.

Her rebuttal came as Holy, the highest form of white magic possible. Ifrit received the full front of the blow, not without significant recoil on Stella's part as well. Her energy was completely drained, and she was slowly slipping into unconsciousness.

The last thing she saw was a fleeting white form, and yet, it made her feel safe…

* * *

Noctis flew from unconsciousness, shouting, "Stella!" into blank and empty space. The boy prince whirled around to see no one in the infirmary, except for himself and Niveus, who was awake as well, sitting stock-still in bed.

"You felt that, too, didn't you? It's Stella," Niveus whispered, although his voice seemed to boom in the extreme quietness. His eyes were narrow and severe, his face darkened in shadow.

Noctis, on the other hand, was wide-eyed and scared.

"We have to find her, Niveus!" he cried anxiously, whipping off the sheets and dashing towards the door.

Noct felt a brotherly hand on his shoulder, seeing Niveus with a finger to his lips. They listened for a moment, hearing the distinct sounds of a heavy battle from afar.

"Stella must be battling a summon, something that's as strong as the Bahamut was. Let's go."

Both boys ran down the endless mazes of corridors, feeling unsettled by the quietness and the roving eyes of the dead rulers from antiquity weighing upon them. Marble floors echoed the sounds of their footfalls, until they both found a set of doors that opened to a balcony.

The balcony of a twisted, roped stone design gave them a perfect view of the devastated gardens and the woods beyond. The trees flared intermittently between gold and a flaming color, blasts of energy rocking the earth. A cluster of servants and other castle occupants were all gathered at the base of the gardens, all transfixed on the battle ahead.

Noct and Niveus both leapt to the ground without a second thought, charging over the gardens as breakneck speed despite the desperate pleas and cries from the crowd gathered together and held by fear. Noct thought he could hear Rosarum's pleas, but he guiltily pushed that supposition away.

Both princes rushed towards the woods, time blurring like the landscape that rushed by, the vestiges of a once beautiful garden. Moonlight aided in guiding them over the uneven and choppy terrain, before they reached the woods. They then passed over the tumult of roots and stopped short of Stella's battle.

"Stella!" Noct screamed fearfully, Niveus the only force keeping him from impulsively flying into the fray.

"Noct! Just wait!" Niveus ordered, seizing Noct in his arms. "Look."

Stella was fighting like Noct had weeks before, her consciousness taken over the some supernatural power, eyes glowing a heavenly gold as a testament to that. Her movements were puppet-like but swift, smiting Ifrit with every devastating blow. Ifrit fought back strongly, inflicting critical damage to Stella, which sent Noct into extreme thralls of fear.

"Noct, if we interfere, we're putting Stella in jeopardy. I fought like this when I protected you guys from the Basilisk; you did when you defeated the Bahamut. I think it's Etros's way of testing us; a near-death experience. We can't stop this prophecy from fulfilling itself," Niveus quietly explained in the sheltering umbrage of a tree far off from the battle, voice grave yet sheltering.

"I can't just watch!" Noct choked out, tears prickling from the corners of his eyes. Niveus had him more tightly, silently trying to comfort his best friend who was so much like a younger brother.

Both watched helplessly as the battle raged for what seemed to be an endless eternity. Stella looked to be near death, her body mangled and bloody, yet still fighting on in ruthless cold, her strength inhuman and frightening.

The battle ended suddenly as a great wave of energy blinded them, Ifrit defeated for good. Stella's body flew, the sword disappearing in a shower of sparks.

Niveus couldn't hold Noctis back as the boy launched himself into the air and caught Stella's limp form like a princess, landing heavily to the ground.

Noct was sobbing now, holding Stella with fierce possession.

"Niveus, get Rosarum! Get help!" Noct screamed through his tears.

Niveus faltered for a moment and tried putting a hand on Noctis's shoulder, but the boy instead whirled to face him, eyes wild and voice desperate. "NOW!"

Caliga's prince was agape for a moment before breaking into a dead run to the castle.

Noct weakly stroked the unconscious girl's hair, eyes wandering to a small orange orb glowing faintly at her side. He picked it up, and, as if moved my instinct, pressed it to her arm in one smooth, sliding motion. It seemed to dissolve, weaving a trail of intricate markings in its wake.

"Never again, Stella. I'll always protect you," he whispered into her ear.

"I love you, Stella."

* * *

"When will this end?" Rosarum cried, stroking Stella's sleeping face. Clothes changed, body cleansed and superficially healed, the young princess appeared to be only sleeping. Noctis was at Stella's flank, dejectedly resting his chin on the soft folds of fabric blanketing Stella's form, eyes glazed over, a hand taking hers.

Niveus was leaning against a wall in the back, unable to speak any words of comfort. He felt that he had no place amid their world.

He knew of what had been decided, of his eventual separation from Noctis and Stella. Seeing them like that, it seemed as if he had no place, especially between Noctis and Stella's budding feelings from each other.

Face ashen, brows furrowed and eyes dark, Niveus turned on a heel and stalked from the infirmary.

He had no place among them.

* * *

Last thoughts: I'm really sorry for not updating in a reeeally long time! I've been dealing with school, life, and depression, really keeping me from my fanfic writing. Forgive me?

Okay, plot-wise, this is the prelude to the final chapter of their childhood arc. After the next chapter, there will be a about a ten-year time skip, leading the present-time story that we've all seen in the trailers. Niveus, soon to be officially ostracized from Noctis and Stella's kingdoms as well as their friendship, will start showing his antagonistic qualities. He'll be finally separated in the next chapter; all three will probably have their memories temporarily erased so that the civil war between the three can begin. I think that I'll have Niveus retain his memories, to add to the plot, so when he begin to attack Noct, there will be a bit of confusion. Next chapter will be the last of them as being children. One after that will bring the real story. I hope you're looking forward to it!

Speaking of the trailers, I hate what they've done to Noctis. Sure, they're a higher-level generation of graphics, but Noct looks hideous compared to the first trailer and the silent dinner scene. He is what I have in mind for this story's Noctis, so don't associate the dubbed version of Noct (new graphics and all) with this story's Noct. He'll always look and act like the older version as far as I'm concerned, okay?

As always, review, review, review!


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